Blinding Haboob Hits Arizona, New Mexico

Some dust storms can be so intense they're sometimes referred to as a haboob. Here's what you need to know about these more extreme events.

What Is A Haboob?

The American Meteorological Society's Glossary of Meteorology defines a haboob as...

An intense sand storm or dust storm caused by strong winds, with sand and/or dust often lofted to heights as high as 1500 meters (about 5000 feet), resulting in a "wall of dust" along the leading edge that can be visually stunning.

Where Did This Term Come From?

It's derived from the Arabic word habb, meaning "to blow", and was originally used to describe dust storms in Sudan, according to the AMS Glossary.

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How Do These Walls Of Dust Form?

Haboobs generally happen in two ways.

1. One of more thunderstorms generate a push of outflow winds, which then surge out ahead of the thunderstorms.

2. A strong cold front or dryline can also generate a fast-moving surge of winds.

(MORE: Massive Haboob Engulfs Phoenix)

Upward, turbulent motion along the leading edge of these stronger winds over desert or other dry areas stir up dust into a layer several thousand feet high.

Sometimes the dust blows through without any rainfall. Other times, at least some rain falls after the leading edge of the dust arrives.

Where Can These Happen?

A haboob can happen in any desert or semi-arid location on the planet, including the U.S. Desert Southwest, drier or drought-ridden areas of the Great Plains, Sahara Desert, Middle East and Australia.

What Are The Impacts?

The most dangerous aspect to a haboob is the sudden reduction of visibility, often to just a few feet in seconds.

If you drive into one of these, it can be the desert's version of a blizzard. You'll be unable to see vehicles in front of you.

According to the National Weather Service in Phoenix, past chain reaction wrecks in Arizona dust storms have claimed as many as 12 lives along Interstate 10.

If you see a wall of dust headed in your direction while driving, the safest thing to do is pull your vehicle off the road, shift to park, take your foot off the brake and wait for the storm to pass. The reason you don't want your foot on the brake is a vehicle behind you may try to follow you if you have your brake lights on and hit you from behind.

Occasionally, wind gusts can be damaging, as was the case at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport during the Aug. 25, 2025, haboob.

Jonathan Erdman is a senior meteorologist at weather.com and has been covering national and international weather since 1996. Extreme and bizarre weather are his favorite topics. Reach out to him on Bluesky, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.