A strong cold front approaching Arizona brought very strong winds to the Little Colorado River Valley. The strong winds also caused large areas of blowing dust and sand.
Every event with a place to put it; 7 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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 episode as NWS FGZ wrote it up.
A strong cold front approaching Arizona brought very strong winds to the Little Colorado River Valley. The strong winds also caused large areas of blowing dust and sand. Roads were closed due to low visibility in the blowing dust and sand.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Flagstaff, AZ wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 5, 3:15 AM MST, 5 hours 45 minutes earlier.
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 high wind, 2 dust storm. Local standard time, as filed.
The ADOT anemometer at Two Guns measured a peak wind gust of 70 MPH. Several barrels blew off a truck on State Route 160 near Tuba City and disabled a following semi truck.
The Winslow ASOS reported a peak wind gust of 66 MPH.
The Window Rock ASOS reported a peak wind gust of 59 MPH. The ADOT anemometer at Lupton reported a peak wind gust of 58 MPH.
The Flagstaff ASOS reported a peak wind gust of 61 MPH. A RAWS in Doney Park reported a peak wind gust of 59 MPH. A camper and box trailers that were being towed east bound on I-40 near Flagstaff blew over. Around 4,500 customers were without power in the Flagstaff area for an hour or less when trees fell into power lines.
The Show Low airport ASOS reported a peak wind gust of 59 MPH.
Dust reduced the visibility to less than 1/2 mile in many locations. The visibility between Luepp and Bird Springs on Indian Route was near zero. The wind was estimated to be gusting between 60 and 70 MPH. A 17 mile section Interstate 40 was closed between Two Guns and Winslow for 5 hours. There was a 6 vehicle pile up on I-40 near the westbound Leupp exit. Five people were taken to the hospital.
Near zero visibility in blowing dust reported on Indian Route 15 between Leupp and Bird Springs.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arizona in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Arizona, April 2010
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 224036, 224043, 224044, 224046, 224048, 224049, 224140.