Funnel Cloud, Maricopa
- When
- April 3, 5:30 PM MST
- Where
- Maricopa County, Laveen
- Coordinates
- 33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Damaging Wind and Dust Devil in Arizona, April 3 to 24, 1997
1 funnel cloud, 1 thunderstorm wind, 1 dust devil, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 3
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The radar
The Phoenix radar (KIWA), 77 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:46 UTC.
Event by event
1 funnel cloud, 1 thunderstorm wind, 1 dust devil. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm Wind, Maricopa
- When
- April 17, 4:49 PM MST
- Where
- Maricopa County, Mesa
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph)
- Coordinates
- 33.420, -111.820
Wind gust was estimated by a spotter.
Dust Devil, Maricopa
- When
- April 24, 1:05 PM MST
- Where
- Maricopa County, Glendale
- Coordinates
- 33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A dust devil caused damage to four homes, toppled a block wall, ripped a roof off of a shed, and knocked down a few large trees. The damage occurred near the intersection of Paradise Lane and 53rd Avenue.
What these are
- Funnel Cloud
- A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.
- Thunderstorm Wind
- Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
- Dust Devil
- A small rotating column of dust from surface heating that caused damage or injury.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Flash Flood in Texas, April 3, 1997
- Flooding in Wisconsin, April 3 to 21, 1997
- Flood in North Dakota, April 3 to 5, 1997
- Flooding in Minnesota, April 3 to 21, 1997
- Flood in North Dakota, April 3 to 5, 1997
- Flood in North Dakota, April 3 to 5, 1997
- Tornado and Debris Flow in Idaho, April 3 to 30, 1997
- High Wind in Washington, April 3, 1997
- Lightning Strike in Washington, April 3, 1997
- Flooding in Wisconsin, April 3 to 10, 1997
- High Surf in Puerto Rico, April 3 to 4, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Montana, April 3 to 4, 1997
More
Every storm in Arizona in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, April 1997
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5603773, 5603774, 5603775.