A strong cold front moved across Arizona with very strong surface winds and blowing dust. The highest wind speed, 77 MPH, topped hurricane force and the visibility dropped to below 15 feet in places.
Every event with a place to put it; 11 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 moved across Arizona with very strong surface winds and blowing dust. The highest wind speed, 77 MPH, topped hurricane force and the visibility dropped to below 15 feet in places. Interstate 40 was closed for nine hours and at least 3 vehicles blew over.
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 May 11, 6:15 AM MST, 15 minutes earlier.
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 high wind, 4 dust storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Two RV trailers and a semi trailer were blown over on I-40 near Two Guns. The ADOT anemometer near Two Guns had a peak wind gust of 77 MPH at 832 AM MST.
Near zero visibility was reported in Leupp at 730 AM then slowly improved through the day. I-40 was closed for several hours because of the poor visibility in blowing dust.
The Flagstaff Airport reported a peak wind gust of 59 MPH.
There was blowing dust most of the day. The visibility dropped to one half mile around 100 PM.
The Show Low Airport reported a peak wind gust of 60 MPH. The wind gusted above 50 MPH for over 7 hours.
The Show Low Airport reported a peak wind gust of 60 MPH. The wind gusted above 50 MPH for over 7 hours.
The visibility in Chinle dropped to near zero at times. The visibility dropped to a mile in the community of Many Farms.
Petrified Forest National Park reported a peak wind gust of 59 MPH. Lupton reported a peak wind gust of 62 MPH.
Law Enforcement in Dilkon reported that the visibility was down to 15 feet in blowing dust.
The ADOT anemometer in Lupton reported a peak wind gust of 62 MPH.
A peak wind gust of 58 MPH was recorded by the ASOS at the Winslow Airport. The winds gusted above 50 MPH for over 5 hours in Winslow. A spotter 10 miles south of Holbrook reported a peak wind gust of 66 MPH.
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, May 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: 234983, 234984, 235015, 235057, 235055, 235040, 235047, 235048, 235050, 235049, 235035.