Local
Phoenix-area storms delay Sky Harbor flights, leave thousands without power
A dust wall with gusts up to 45 mph moved into the West Valley Saturday before storms brought scattered rain, flight delays and power outages. More storms were possible Sunday as remnants of Tropical Cyclone Rachel moved through the region.
A dust wall swept into the West Valley around 12:45 p.m. Saturday, followed by scattered showers and thunderstorms that disrupted travel and knocked out power for thousands of Valley residents.
The National Weather Service issued a dust storm warning as winds gusted up to 45 mph. Storms later prompted a ground stop at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The stop was lifted, but a ground delay of 168 minutes remained. At 3:30 p.m., the airport’s website listed 227 delayed flights and two cancellations.
The weather also interrupted electricity service for more than 1,100 Arizona Public Service customers and about 2,500 Salt River Project customers. The available outage figures did not specify when power would be restored.
Showers were expected to remain scattered through Saturday, meaning some parts of the Valley could miss out on rain, National Weather Service meteorologist Ted Whittock said. By 9:30 p.m., rainfall totals included 0.28 inches in Glendale and 0.12 inches each in Phoenix and Tempe.
Remnants of Tropical Cyclone Rachel were expected to move through metro Phoenix Saturday night into Sunday morning, potentially renewing storm activity early Sunday. Whittock said some storms could become strong to severe, with conditions expected to improve by Sunday evening.
A wind advisory was scheduled for the Valley from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Winds were forecast to reach 20 to 25 mph, with gusts up to 40 mph, peaking in the early afternoon. Weather officials warned of blowing dust and difficult driving conditions.
Saturday night’s storms also delayed Arizona State University’s football game against Hawaii at halftime because of weather in the area.