A large storm system moving over the western United States and a strong cold front moving across northern Arizona brought high winds and blowing dust to much of the area.
Every event with a place to put it; 9 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 large storm system moving over the western United States and a strong cold front moving across northern Arizona brought high winds and blowing dust to much of the area.
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 23, 3:50 AM MST, 5 hours 50 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ 350 AM MST SUN MAY 23 2010 .SYNOPSIS...EXPECT VERY WINDY AND COOLER CONDITIONS TODAY AS A POWERFUL STORM SYSTEM MOVES TOWARD WESTERN ARIZONA. AREAS OF BLOWING SAND AND DUST ARE LIKELY EAST AND NORTHEAST OF FLAGSTAFF BY THIS AFTERNOON. THIS STORM WILL BRING A CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS TO PORTIONS OF FAR NORTHERN ARIZONA LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT...ALONG WITH FREEZING TEMPERATURES ABOVE 6000 FEET. LIGHTER WINDS AND SLOWLY WARMING TEMPERATURES WILL RETURN FOR MUCH OF NEXT WEEK. && .DISCUSSION...AN UNSEASONABLY COLD AND DEEP TROUGH WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN ARIZONA THIS AFTERNOON...AND WILL THEN LIFT NORTHEAST INTO SOUTHERN UTAH TONIGHT. THIS TROUGH HAS -7C AIR AT 700 MB IN THE CORE WHILE EASTERN ARIZONA REMAINS AT AROUND +8C TO +9C AT 700 MB. THIS IS A TREMENDOUS THERMAL GRADIENT FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR...AND WE EXPECT STRONG WINDS AS A RESULT. WIND ADVISORIES ARE OUT IN MOST ZONES TODAY...WITH THE LCR AND VICINITY UPGRADED TO A HIGH WIND WARNING. THIS WILL BE A PROLIFIC DUST PRODUCER EAST AND NORTHEAST OF FLAGSTAFF...AND WE HAVE ALSO ISSUED A DUST STORM WARNING. THIS SYSTEM IS MOISTURE-STARVED...BUT SO MUCH FORCING EXISTS ALONG THE FRONT...COUPLED WITH SOME INSTABILITY THIS EVENING...THAT A FEW RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS WILL DEVELOP. THE BEST CHANCE FOR THIS WILL BE LATE TODAY AND TONIGHT...MAINLY OVER NORTHERN ARIZONA. BY MONDAY...MUCH LESS WIND IS EXPECTED BEHIND THE FRONT...ALTHOUGH COOLER AIR WILL REMAIN IN PLACE. RISING HGHTS WILL STABILIZE THE AIRMASS...AND ANY THREAT FOR PRECIPITATION SHOULD END. THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK FEATURES WARMER TEMPERATURES AND MAINLY DRY CONDITIONS WITH NORMAL DIURNAL BREEZES. PERSISTENT SOUTHERN FLOW FROM AN OFFSHORE TROUGH WILL EVENTUALLY BRING SOME MID-LEVEL MOISTURE INTO THE STATE...AND A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS MAY DEVELOP BY NEXT WEEKEND. && .AVIATION...FOR THE 12Z PACKAGE...VERY STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL RE-DEVELOP BY 15Z-17Z TODAY...WITH SPEEDS OF 25-35KT GUSTING TO 40-50KT. OTHERWISE VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL...EXCEPT OVER EAST CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST AZ WHERE BLOWING DUST WILL CAUSE REDUCED VISIBILITY BELOW 1/4SM OVER A LARGE AREA...AND LOCALLY DOWN TO NEAR ZERO. DECREASING WINDS ARE FORECAST AFTER 02Z MONDAY. AVIATION DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR AMENDMENTS. && .DISCUSSION...A STRONG PACIFIC LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT NORTHERN ARIZONA TODAY...BRINGING STRONG WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES. WHILE RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL BE SLIGHTLY HIGHER ACROSS MOST OF NORTHERN ARIZONA TODAY DUE TO LOWER AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES...SOME AREAS WILL STILL EXPERIENCE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS FROM LATE THIS MORNING THROUGH THIS EVENING. ON MONDAY...CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN DRY WITH MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES BETWEEN 10-15 PERCENT...HOWEVER THE WINDS WILL BE MUCH LIGHTER AND CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE NOT EXPECTED. TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...WILL SEE GRADUAL WARMING AND DRYING...ALONG WITH INCREASING SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS THROUGH THE PERIOD. && .FGZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 7 AM MST UNTIL 7 PM MST TODAY AZ ZONES 012>014-040. WIND ADVISORY FROM 7 AM MST UNTIL 7 PM MST TODAY AZ ZONES 004>011-015>018-037>039. DUST STORM WARNING FROM 10 AM MST UNTIL 7 PM MST TODAY AZ ZONES 009-010-011-012-013-015-039-040. RED FLAG WARNING FROM 10 AM MST UNTIL 7 PM MST FGZ FWX ZONES 110>114-137-140. && PUBLIC..................PETERSON AVIATION/FIRE WEATHER...JVC VISIT WEATHER.GOV/FLAGSTAFF FOR NORTHERN ARIZONA WEATHER INFORMATION.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ 445 AM MST SUN MAY 23 2010 AZZ004>018-037>040-240700- WESTERN MOGOLLON RIM-GRAND CANYON COUNTRY-YAVAPAI COUNTY MOUNTAINS- YAVAPAI COUNTY VALLEYS AND BASINS-OAK CREEK AND SYCAMORE CANYONS- MARBLE AND GLEN CANYONS-KAIBAB PLATEAU-COCONINO PLATEAU- NORTHEAST PLATEAU AND MESAS HWY 264 NORTHWARD- NORTHEAST PLATEAU AND MESAS SOUTH OF HWY 264- CHINLE VALLEY-CHUSKA MOUNTAINS AND DEFIANCE PLATEAU- BLACK MESA AREA-LITTLE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY IN COCONINO COUNTY- LITTLE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY IN NAVAJO COUNTY- LITTLE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY IN APACHE COUNTY- EASTERN MOGOLLON RIM-WHITE MOUNTAINS-NORTHERN GILA COUNTY- 445 AM MST SUN MAY 23 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR APACHE...COCONINO...NORTHERN GILA...NAVAJO...AND YAVAPAI COUNTIES IN NORTHERN ARIZONA. .DAY ONE...TODAY A STRONG PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM AND COLD FRONT WILL MOVE TOWARD ARIZONA TODAY...AND WILL MOVE THROUGH THE STATE TONIGHT. AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT...EXPECT WIDESPREAD STRONG AND GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS FOR MUCH OF THE DAY. THE WINDIEST CONDITIONS ARE ANTICIPATED EAST OF FLAGSTAFF...WHERE SOUTHWEST WINDS COULD GUST AS HIGH AS 55 TO 65 MPH. A VARIETY OF WIND ADVISORIES AND HIGH WIND WARNINGS HAVE BEEN ISSUED TODAY...SEE PHXNPWFGZ FOR DETAILS. THESE STRONG WINDS WILL GENERATE AREAS OF BLOWING DUST AND SAND AS WELL THIS AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY FROM I-40 BETWEEN FLAGSTAFF AND WINSLOW NORTHEASTWARD TO THE FOUR CORNERS AREA. VISIBILITY IN THESE AREAS WILL DROP AS LOW AS ZERO AT TIMES...AND A DUST STORM WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED. THE BLOWING DUST WILL LIKELY AFFECT I-40 FROM TWO GUNS TO WINSLOW...AS WELL AS OTHER ROADS NORTH OF I-40...INCLUDING THE CHINLE VALLEY. IN ADDITION TO THE WINDS...MUCH COLDER AND UNSTABLE AIR WILL MOVE INTO THE STATE FROM THE WEST LATER TODAY. ENOUGH MOISTURE EXISTS FOR SCATTERED RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS TO DEVELOP THIS EVENING...MAINLY NEAR THE UTAH BORDER. THIS SYSTEM WILL MOVE AWAY FROM THE STATE LATER TONIGHT WITH IMPROVING WEATHER CONDITIONS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 dust storm, 2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Interstate 40 was closed due to blowing dust between Two Guns and Winslow. Arizona Department of Public Safety reported ongoing visibility was between 5 and 50 feet at around 100 PM.
Interstate 40 was closed due to blowing dust between Two Guns and Winslow.
The dispatch center in Chinle reported near zero visibility on Highway 191 north of Chinle. Police in Kayenta reported blowing dust with visibility down to 100 feet. The community of Many Farms had visibility down to 25 feet in blowing dust.
A spotter in Kykotsmovi Village reported visibility down to 10 feet at times in blowing dust. The visibility dropped to 20 feet at times in Dilkon.
Visibility dropped to less than 100 feet at times in blowing dust.
The ASOS at the Winslow Airport reported a peak wind gust of 60 MPH.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety weather station at Two Guns reported a peak wind gust of 60 MPH.
A spotter in Kykotsmovi Village reported visibility down to 10 feet at times in blowing dust. Blowing dust in Pinon dropped the visibility down to 200 yards at times.
Blowing dust in Pinon dropped the visibility down to 200 yards at times.
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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 237673, 237674, 237675, 237702, 237713, 237676, 237680, 237701, 237706.