Arizona, 2025Dust Storm and High Wind in Arizona, April 18, 2025
April 18, 2025 · NWS PSR · 3 events in 3 counties and zones
A cold front in association with an upper-level low pressure system moved southward through south-central AZ during the late afternoon and evening hours on the 18th, producing an expansive area of showers and isolated thunderstorms. As these showers moved across the region, they produced strong wind gusts in excess of 40 mph across portions of the region, with isolated reports of some minor…
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.
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- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
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- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
Open the live radar over this ground
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $1,000
- 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.
A cold front in association with an upper-level low pressure system moved southward through south-central AZ during the late afternoon and evening hours on the 18th, producing an expansive area of showers and isolated thunderstorms. As these showers moved across the region, they produced strong wind gusts in excess of 40 mph across portions of the region, with isolated reports of some minor damage as well as blowing dust.
Event by event
1 dust storm, 1 high wind, 1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Dust Storm, Cave Creek/New River
- When
- April 18, 5:30 PM MST to 5:50 PM MST
- Where
- Cave Creek/New River forecast zone
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Video footage showed visibility dropping down to near zero from a shallow dust channel that crossed Carefree Highway as a result of strong winds. Surface observations at 6:00 PM MST indicated gusts at 30 mph so it was possible that gusts could have been over 40 mph during the moment the video was recorded. No accidents nor injuries were reported.
High Wind, Tonto Basin
- When
- April 18, 6:51 PM MST
- Where
- Tonto Basin forecast zone
- Measured
- 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 33.800, -110.812 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A mesonet station in the Tonto Basin measured a peak gust of 64 mph.
Strong Wind, East Valley
- When
- April 18, 8:00 PM MST
- Where
- East Valley forecast zone
- Measured
- 39 kt (45 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $1,000
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 33.349, -112.491 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A medium-sized tree was uprooted in the backyard of a house in Gilbert, with the tree falling on the back of a parked pickup truck. Timing estimated from radar with Mesa Gateway Airport measuring a peak gust of 46 mph at around the same time. No injuries were reported.
- Dust Storm
- Blowing dust that reduced visibility to a quarter mile or less.
- High Wind
- Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
- Strong Wind
- Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
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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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1255340, 1255341, 1255342.