ASU School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning

08/06/2026

Phoenix records the second Category 5 dust storm of the season in same week.

The Aug. 6, 2026 Category 5 dust storm has been classified as a widespread, long-duration and high-wind-gust event. Weakening thunderstorms near Tucson collapsed overnight, kicking up the outflow winds that drove the dust storm into Phoenix.

📍 West Chandler saw the highest dust concentrations, peaking at 5,841 µg/m³ after 1 a.m.
💨 Winds of at least 25 mph were recorded at multiple sites
📡 Dust was widespread, impacting 18 of 20 active stations
⏱️ Elevated dust concentrations lasted 3 hours, and dust lingered for a shorter amount of time than the Aug. 3-4, 2026 storm

📸 Footage by Jorge Torres and ADOT

⚡ The Phoenix Dust Storm (PHX-DUST) Scale classifies dust storms after they occur, ranking them from Category 1 to Category 5 based on dust concentrations. Subcategories describe each storm's geographic extent, duration, and wind gusts.

⛈️ Explore the data and submit your monsoon footage at PhoenixDust.asu.edu.

⚠️ Follow US National Weather Service Phoenix Arizona for real-time weather alerts.

08/05/2026

The Category 5 Aug. 3–4 dust storm lasted 15 hours, making it one of the most significant dust storms recorded in the Phoenix area. The storm has been classified as a widespread, long-duration, high-wind-gust event.

Peak dust concentrations exceeded 6,000 μg/m³ in parts of the Valley — the second-highest concentration ever recorded in the Valley.

Based on the Phoenix Dust Storm (PHX-DUST) Scale, a Category 5 rating is the highest on the scale, and this event is only the fifth dust storm to receive this classification in the past 16 years.

The other four Category 5 events were:
⛈️ July 5, 2011
☂️ June 30, 2013
⚡ Aug. 31, 2023
🌤️ Sept. 3, 2025

📸 Photos by Michael Marcinko at Sonoran Preserve, Phoenix on Aug. 4, 2026, at 8 a.m.

⚡ The Phoenix Dust Storm (PHX-DUST) Scale classifies dust storms after they occur, ranking them from Category 1 to Category 5 based on dust concentrations. Subcategories describe each storm's geographic extent, duration, and wind gusts.

⛈️ Explore the data and submit your monsoon footage at PhoenixDust.asu.edu.

⚠️ Follow NWS Phoenix for real-time weather alerts.

08/05/2026

The Aug. 3-4 dust storm has been classified as a Category 5 widespread, long-duration and high wind gust event.

Unlike some dust storms, this event was not followed by rainfall, with peak dust concentrations arriving between 10 p.m. and midnight on Aug. 3, but elevated concentrations are extending into the afternoon of Aug. 4, 2026.

📍 Category 5 – The highest rating on the Phoenix Dust Storm (PHX-DUST) Scale.
📍 Widespread – The storm covered all 18 active dust monitoring sites across the Valley, with Category 5 dust levels recorded near South Mountain and in Glendale, as well as Category 4 level concentrations found across several other locations including Gilbert, Phoenix and Buckeye.
📍 Long-duration – Elevated dust concentrations persisted for at least 12 hours, into the afternoon of Aug. 4.
📍 High wind gusts – Wind gusts exceeded 30 mph in several locations.

📸 Photos by Sean Voysey Olson, Trey Greenwood and ADOT.

⚡ The Phoenix Dust Storm (PHX-DUST) Scale classifies dust storms after they occur, ranking them from Category 1 to Category 5 based on dust concentrations. Subcategories describe each storm's geographic extent, duration and wind gusts.

⛈️ Explore the data and submit your monsoon footage at PhoenixDust.asu.edu.

⚠️ Follow NWS Phoenix for real-time weather alerts.

08/03/2026

Welcome to ASU, Sarah Wugofski! Sarah joins us as our new assistant teaching professor in geography here at SGSUP.

Sarah has earned meteorology degrees from Florida State University, the University of Oklahoma and Penn State University. Her previous research experience has spanned radar meteorology and cloud and precipitation processes.

We're excited to bring her expertise and passion for meteorology to our students!

08/01/2026

**In the news** Associate Professor Ariane Middel’s area of expertise has been a hot topic this month, literally. Middel, whose research focuses on how urban design influences heat exposure, was interviewed for a Stocktonia piece on how triple digits are affecting residents of Stockton California whose livelihoods depend on being outdoors, even when temperatures become a health risk. 🥵

She was also interviewed alongside colleagues Jennifer Vanos and David Sailor in ASU’s ASU School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, where Middel holds a joint appointment, for an ASU News feature offering advice on weathering Arizona summers. Stay cool out there!

👉 Read more at https://stocktonia.org/news/environment/2026/07/18/when-a-mini-heat-wave-hit-stockton-these-residents-couldnt-escape-it/

and

👉 https://news.asu.edu/20260720-environment-and-sustainability-how-experts-weather-arizona-summers

07/29/2026

is underway, and models show a 'super El Niño' could help bring some much-needed moisture to the Southwest.

As we await potential new dust storms, take a look back at the high-end Category 1 dust storm recorded on July 13, 2026.

📍 Peter Michelsen — South Gilbert by the 202

⚡ The Phoenix Dust Storm (PHX-DUST) Scale classifies dust storms after they occur, ranking them Category 1 to 5 based on dust concentrations.

📸 Explore storm data and submit your monsoon footage on PhoenixDust.asu.edu

⚠️ Follow US National Weather Service Phoenix Arizona for real-time alerts.

07/28/2026

Fall 2026 classes start on Aug. 20 at ! The sooner you register, the more course options you'll have when building your schedule. Taking action now can help you stay on track for the semester ahead.

📚 Enroll in fall classes: catalog.apps.asu.edu/catalog/classes/classlist

07/27/2026

Join us Aug. 27 for the Fall 2026 Planning Practitioner Lecture featuring City of Scottsdale - Government planners Jeff Barnes and Jesus Murillo.

Learn how Scottsdale is updating its Environmentally Sensitive Lands (ESL) Ordinance and Fire Defensible Space standards through policy development, public outreach and collaboration.

📅 Thursday, Aug. 27
🕔 5–6:15 p.m.
📍Coor Hall 199 + Zoom

🤝 American Planning Association, Arizona Chapter Mentorship Mixer
🕔 6:30–7:30 p.m.
📍Pedal Haus Brewery

🔗 RSVP: bit.ly/PPLFall26

07/24/2026

A day in the life of an urban planning student at ! 🏙️

Follow Arjav Rawal, an accelerated Master of Urban and Environmental Planning student, as he balances undergraduate studies with a transportation planning internship at . 🌴📚

07/22/2026