Arizona residents are facing a potentially dangerous combination of extreme weather conditions as powerful winds threaten to whip up massive clouds of dust across central and southern portions of the state.
Roughly 1.5 million people could be affected as wind gusts approaching 55 mph create hazardous conditions, reduce visibility, and potentially send naturally occurring fungal spores into the air.
The National Weather Service issued a blowing dust advisory Wednesday covering large sections of Arizona, including portions of Maricopa, Pinal, Pima, and Santa Cruz counties. Major population centers in the projected impact area include Phoenix and Tucson, along with communities such as Buckeye, Avondale, Ahwatukee, and Queen Creek.
