Phoenix dust storm triggers high pollution advisory
PHOENIX - The Papago Buttes area usually has a clear view of Downtown Phoenix, but that was not the case on Aug. 4.
"It’s very muggy and disgusting today," said Emily, who lives in Phoenix.
The view from Loop 202 was hardly any less soupy.
"It looks like garbage out here," said Jamie, another Phoenix resident.
On a sunny day in Encanto Park, the Downtown skyline stands out, but not with Tuesday's dust layer.
"It’s usually visible, but it wasn’t today," said Armando Aguilar, who was visiting the park.
What they're saying:
The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality issued a High Pollution Advisory for Phoenix, expecting dust to exceed federal health standards.
"That's a level where people who are sensitive to air pollution, sensitive to dust, people with asthma, COPD, even children or the elderly, they're going to be the most susceptible to that kind of air pollution," said Michael Graves, an air quality meteorologist with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.
Experts blame a dust storm on the night of Aug. 3. That storm was rated a Category 5 on the ASU Dust Storm Scale due to its widespread dust, high winds, and long duration.
"We had blowing dust that moving through the Valley late last night from the south," Graves said. "Those winds picked up a bunch of dust and just transported into the Valley."
He says cloud cover kept the dust around Tuesday.
"We didn't have any rain, so no rain followed the dust, and that's why we have a lot more dust," Graves said.
Local perspective:
Anyone out and about noticed the change in the sky.
"I feel like we moved to LA," Jamie said.
While some minimized their time outside due to the air quality, others embraced the clouds.
"I don’t mind it, it’s nice from the heat," a man told Fox 10 downtown.
Armando Aguilar and his family took advantage of the cooler temperatures, spending the day at Encanto Park.
"That’s why we’re out here actually, because usually by this time, the sun's already beaming and you're sweating, and you're not even doing anything," Aguilar said.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and people throughout Phoenix.