A significant line of storms swept across Arizona on Saturday evening, triggering a severe thunderstorm warning that covered parts of the Phoenix metropolitan area including Phoenix, Glendale and Peoria. The National Weather Service warned that straight-line winds associated with the system could increase to as much as 80 miles per hour, and there were field reports of hail falling in the North Mountain Park area, heightening concerns about storm-related damage to property and vehicles.
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Lightning illuminates towering storm clouds as a severe thunderstorm warning graphic — illustrating the line of storms moving through the Phoenix area that prompted warnings for wind gusts up to 80 mph and reports of hail.
In addition to high winds and hail, observers reported a substantial wall of dust forming just south of Interstate 8 in southern Maricopa County. That dust mass was moving west and north, and officials warned it could push into the Phoenix area within roughly an hour of initial observation, reducing visibility and creating hazardous travel conditions. A Dust Storm Warning was issued for the affected areas to alert residents and motorists to the possibility of sudden and dangerous drops in visibility along major roadways and in neighborhoods downwind of the advancing plume.
Utilities reported significant outages as the storm system passed through the region. As of 9 p.m., about 36,000 customers served by Salt River Project and Arizona Public Service were without electricity, with the largest concentrations of outages reported in the West Valley. The outages coincided with multiple damage reports that local emergency services and utility crews were cataloging, including evidence of downed infrastructure and lines in several locations.
Among the specific damage reports were a downed pole near the intersection of 7th Street and Dunlap Avenue, and multiple accounts of power lines down in the area of 57th Avenue and McDowell Road. These incidents were reported amid the surge of calls and messages to local authorities about storm-related damage. Officials have said the situation was being actively monitored, and public-safety and utility organizations were tracking reports to prioritize response and restoration efforts.
A storm cell produces a concentrated rain shaft and lightning over the valley at sunset, one of the severe cells tied to widespread damage reports and power outages in the West Valley.
Weather officials emphasized the combination of hazards presented by the system: the potential for dangerously strong straight-line winds, hail in localized areas such as North Mountain Park, and dust that can quickly reduce visibility to near zero. The confluence of those conditions was the principal reason for issuing both the severe thunderstorm and Dust Storm warnings, and for urging residents to remain alert to rapidly changing conditions as the storm complex moved through the valley.
Local authorities and weather agencies said they would continue to monitor the unfolding situation and provide updates as more information became available. Residents in affected areas were advised to stay indoors while the warnings remained in effect and to follow updates from official channels for the latest information about storm movement, power-restoration timelines and any additional safety advisories issued by emergency management or utility providers.
Later updates from the National Weather Service extended the severe thunderstorm warning for Maricopa and La Paz counties until 11:15 p.m. MST, with @NWSPhoenix sharing radar imagery to track the ongoing threats of high winds and hail as the line of storms progressed.
Arizona’s Family reported that at the storm’s peak roughly 15,000 Salt River Project customers and about 4,500 Arizona Public Service customers were without power, with an additional roughly 10,000 SRP outages reported in Pinal County.
The FAA issued a ground stop at Phoenix Sky Harbor during the storm and numerous flights were delayed, according to Arizona’s Family and ABC15.
A National Weather Service rain gauge in central Phoenix measured 1.26 inches of rain in one hour during the event.
Arizona’s Family documented localized structural damage, including portions of roofs ripped off at the Palm Shadows mobile home park near 51st Avenue and Orangewood Avenue and a sparking, downed power line near 36th Street and McDowell Road.
ABC15’s live updates noted that many outages were restored overnight, leaving only a few hundred APS and SRP customers without power by about 4:30 a.m. the following morning.