Commuter Conditions

Dust Storm Slams Phoenix, Ushers In Monsoon Season

A wall of dust slammed Phoenix on Thursday evening and brought with it heavy rains and lightning, knocking out power to thousands.

The storm with wind gusts of up to 50 mph was the first of the yearly monsoon, or summer thunderstorm, season.

The wall of dust that enveloped parts of the city snarled traffic and grounded flights.

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All inbound and outbound traffic at Sky Harbor International Airport was halted after 8 p.m. PDT as a result of the storm, airport spokeswoman Julie Rodriguez told the Associated Press.

Operations had resumed by 8:45 p.m., but not before 24 planes had been diverted to other airports, she said.

The storm also derailed Fourth of July plans, among them was the cancelation of the "Red, White and Boom" Fourth of July fireworks show in southeast Phoenix.

About Monsoon Season

A monsoon is a season of high temperatures, high winds and high moisture, resulting in potentially deadly weather. The term "monsoon" comes from the Arabic "mausim" meaning "season" or "wind shift."

Monsoon storms range from minor dust storms to violent thunderstorms.

Typically, Arizona monsoon storms start with heavy winds sometimes resulting in a visible wall of dust hundreds of feet high moving across the Valley.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.