A strong weather disturbance moving across northern Arizona produced areas of strong winds and blowing dust.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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 weather disturbance moving across northern Arizona produced areas of strong winds and blowing dust.
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 9, 2:30 PM MST, 2 hours 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ 230 PM MST SUN MAY 9 2010 .SYNOPSIS...A SERIES OF WEATHER DISTURBANCES WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. LOOK FOR WINDY CONDITIONS ACROSS NORTHERN ARIZONA...WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING THEN AGAIN ON TUESDAY. OTHERWISE...EXPECT CLEAR TO PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES WITH COOLER TEMPERATURES HEADING INTO THE WORK WEEK. LIGHTER WINDS AND WARMER TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TOWARD THE END OF THE WEEK AS THE CURRENT SERIES OF LOWS MOVE EASTWARD. && .DISCUSSION...A WEATHER DISTURBANCE MOVING ACROSS THE WESTERN UNITED STATES WILL BRING STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS INTO THE EVENING HOURS WITH SUSTAINED WINDS OF 20 TO 35 MPH...GUSTING FROM 40 TO 50 MPH. ACROSS NORTHEAST ARIZONA...INCLUDING THE LITTLE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY AND THE NAVAJO AND HOPI NATIONS...WIND GUSTS OF 55 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE FROM LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING HOURS. BLOWING DUST COULD BECOME A PROBLEM AND DRIVERS IN THE NORTHEAST PORTION OF ARIZONA SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION. A WIND ADVISORY IS CURRENTLY IN EFFECT FOR ALL AREAS OF NORTHERN ARIZONA. STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL AFTER SUNSET AND THEN DECOUPLE DUE TO NOCTURNAL RADIATIONAL COOLING BETWEEN 8 PM AND 10 PM MST THIS EVENING. LOCALLY BREEZY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHT. BY MONDAY...THE FIRST LOW WILL HEAD EAST OF ARIZONA WITH THE NEXT SYSTEM JUST MOVING ON TO THE CALIFORNIA COAST. AS A RESULT...PRESSURE GRADIENTS ALOFT WILL REMAIN FAIRLY STRONG RESULTING IN DAYTIME SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS FROM 30 TO 40 MPH. ON TUESDAY...THIS NEXT SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO BE COLDER WITH A SLIGHTLY STRONGER COLD FRONT. HOWEVER THE WINDS ARE FORECAST TO PEAK BEFORE SUNRISE AS THE COLD FRONT PUSHES INTO NORTHWEST SECTIONS OF ARIZONA. GIVEN MORE STABILITY DURING THE MORNING HOURS THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE CONFINED TO THE ADJACENT DOWN WIND AREAS OF THE KAIBAB PLATEAU...NORTHEAST PLATEAU AND EAST OF THE SAN FRANCISCO PEAKS...WITH STRONG WIND GUSTS AROUND 50 TO 55 MPH. EVEN IF NORTHERN ARIZONA AVOIDS THE STRONGEST WINDS A WIND ADVISORY MAY STILL BE NEEDED FROM FLAGSTAFF EASTWARD TO THE NEW MEXICO BORDER FROM TUESDAY MORNING INTO EARLY TUESDAY EVENING. OTHERWISE...COOLER TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED ALONG WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS ALONG THE ARIZONA/UTAH BORDER. BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON THE UPPER LOW WILL BE OVER NORTHERN UTAH WITH THE COLD FRONT JUST INTO WESTERN NEW MEXICO. FROM WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...THE GREAT BASIN LOW WILL SLOWLY WEAKEN AND HEAD EASTWARD. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL GRADUALLY WARM HEADING TO ABOVE NORMAL VALUES BY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. AS A RESULT...THE WEEKEND WEATHER IS LOOKING TO BE NICE ACROSS NORTHERN ARIZONA WITH WARM DAYTIME TEMPERATURES...FAIRLY LIGHT WINDS AND PARTLY CLOUDY TO MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES. && .AVIATION...FOR THE 00Z PACKAGE...VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 20-30G35-45KTS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THIS EVENING...GRADUALLY DIMINISHING AFT 03Z MONDAY. ANTICIPATE AREAS OF BLOWING DUST WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR REDUCED VISIBILITIES IN THE LEE OF HIGHER TERRAIN. AVIATION DISCUSSION NOT UPDATED FOR AMENDMENTS. && .FIRE WEATHER...WEATHER DISTURBANCES WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN BRINGING BREEZY TO STRONG SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES TO NORTHERN ARIZONA AGAIN FOR MONDAY AND TUESDAY. THOUGH DAYTIME TEMPERATURES WILL BE COOLER THAN THE PAST COUPLE DAYS...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS MAY STILL DEVELOP. WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...TEMPERATURES WILL GRADUALLY WARM TOWARD THE END OF THE WEEK WITH LIGHTER...THOUGH STILL OCCASIONALLY BREEZY...WINDS ANTICIPATED ACROSS THE DESERT SOUTHWEST. && .FGZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... 1) RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 8 PM MST FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES AZZ105>108-111-115>117-139. 2) RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL MIDNIGHT MST FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES AZZ109-110-112>114-140. 3) FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM LATE MONDAY MORNING UNTIL MONDAY EVENING FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES AZZ105>117-139-140. 4) WIND ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT MST TONIGHT FOR ZONES AZZ004>017-037>040. && PUBLIC...................MCCOLLUM AVIATION/FIRE WEATHER....KD VISIT WEATHER.GOV/FLAGSTAFF FOR NORTHERN ARIZONA WEATHER INFORMATION.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FLAGSTAFF AZ 542 AM MST SUN MAY 9 2010 AZZ004>018-037>040-100700- KAIBAB PLATEAU-MARBLE AND GLEN CANYONS-GRAND CANYON COUNTRY- COCONINO PLATEAU-YAVAPAI COUNTY MOUNTAINS- NORTHEAST PLATEAUS AND MESAS HWY 264 NORTHWARD-CHINLE VALLEY- CHUSKA MOUNTAINS AND DEFIANCE PLATEAU- LITTLE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY IN COCONINO COUNTY- LITTLE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY IN NAVAJO COUNTY- LITTLE COLORADO RIVER VALLEY IN APACHE COUNTY- WESTERN MOGOLLON RIM-EASTERN MOGOLLON RIM-WHITE MOUNTAINS- NORTHERN GILA COUNTY-YAVAPAI COUNTY VALLEYS AND BASINS- OAK CREEK AND SYCAMORE CANYONS-BLACK MESA AREA- NORTHEAST PLATEAUS AND MESAS SOUTH OF HWY 264- 542 AM MST SUN MAY 9 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL ARIZONA...NORTH CENTRAL ARIZONA...NORTHEAST ARIZONA AND WEST CENTRAL ARIZONA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS RANGING FROM 40 TO AS HIGH AS 55 MPH ACROSS NORTHERN ARIZONA. A FEW PLACES MAY EXPERIENCE BLOWING DUST AND SAND...REDUCING VISIBILITY THIS AFTERNOON AND THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. AS A RESULT...A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM UNTIL MIDNIGHT MST EARLY MONDAY MORNING. IN ADDITION...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE ANTICIPATED AND A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM UNTIL MIDNIGHT MST FOR MOST AREAS NORTH OF THE MOGOLLON RIM AND FROM 10AM MST TO 8 PM MST FROM THE MOGOLLON RIM SOUTH AND OVER YAVAPAI AND PORTIONS OF COCONINO COUNTIES. GO TO WWW.WEATHER.GOV/FLAGSTAFF TO VIEW THIS CRITICAL WEATHER INFORMATION ON THE WEB. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY ANOTHER PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO MOVE THROUGH THE REGION EARLY TUESDAY MORNING...BRINGING ANOTHER ROUND OF STRONG WINDS AND VERY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY. A WIND ADVISORY AND RED FLAG WARNING MAY BE NEED FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN ARIZONA...MAINLY FROM FLAGSTAFF EASTWARD TO THE NEW MEXICO BORDER. STAY TUNED FOR LATER UPDATES ON THIS WEATHER SITUATION. .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.
3 dust storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Police in Dilkon reported 1/2 mile visibility in blowing dust.
A spotter in the community of Many Farms reported less than 1/4 mile visibility in blowing dust. Department of Public Safety in Kayenta reported blowing dust but, with good visibility and no travel issues.
Hopi Police reported pretty bad visibility in Keams Canyon and 5 mile visibility in Polacca.
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: 229512, 229513, 229529.