Monsoon

PHOENIX – A wall of dust that towers on the horizon. A heavy downpour of localized rain. These weather occurrences that happen during the monsoon season can rapidly reduce visibility and create unsafe driving conditions.  

With the monsoon season rapidly approaching – officially, it runs June 15-Sept. 30 – ADOT is reminding motorists during Monsoon Awareness Week (June 9-15) how to stay safe and be prepared for the extreme weather that monsoon season brings.

You probably have seen the images of large dust storms blanketing communities with walls of dust during a summer monsoon storm. Visibility on our roadways can turn to almost nothing and be dangerous to drive through during one of these dust storms. That’s why I want to remind everyone to be prepared this monsoon season and keep safety in mind.

Burn scars can pose a problem during monsoon season.

PHOENIX - A menacing wall of dust appears in the distance, suddenly blocking the sun as visibility drops to almost nothing.

Blasts of wind scatter tree branches that block traffic lanes and dust gives way to torrents of rain that flood roadways.

Summer means our monsoon season has arrived. According to the National Weather Service, Arizona’s summer monsoon season starts mid-June and lasts through the end of September. We can anticipate storms that bring lightning, rain and walls of dust. Driving through a dust storm can be dangerous and ill-advised, no matter where you are.

PHOENIX – As the National Weather Service forecasts another round of monsoon storms in Arizona this week, drivers should use extreme caution and make plans to avoid hazardous conditions that heavy rainfall could trigger on roadways across the state.

It's easy to think running water on a roadway isn't a big threat. But you would be wrong. Your car can be swept away in just 12 inches of water. 

Is your car rainstorm ready? Monsoon season is here and it's important for you and your car to be ready. 

Be prepared! Take our latest Monsoon Awareness Quiz to make sure you're ready to hit the road this season.

Interstate 10 drivers between Eloy and Picacho Peak should expect something very different this summer when storms hit: reduced speed limits, speed feedback signs and new overhead boards that display urgent safety messages.

In addition to learning more about monsoon season safety, we're encouraging you to create your own sign to keep people from driving into a dangerous dust storm.

The summer monsoon season is at hand. If you get caught in a heavy downpour, do you know what to do?

PHOENIX – The official start of monsoon season is here and Arizonans know what to expect in the coming months: occasional dust storms and torrential rain.

As the Arizona Department of Transportation marks Monsoon Awareness Week (June 14-20) with reminders to “Pull Aside, Stay Alive” when drivers encounter blowing dust, ADOT is also providing information about the first-of-its-kind dust detection system on a stretch of Interstate 10 between Phoenix and Tucson.

Keep an eye on the forecast and be ready to slow down with heavy rain possible early next week.

If lightning never strikes the same place twice, we're glad an ADOT weather camera was able to catch this one-in-a-million shot of a strike near Holbrook.

Summer has arrived. From extreme temperatures to extremely strong storms, we all need to know how to handle summer in Arizona.

This time of year, crashes involving wildlife are more likely due to monsoon and heavy holiday-related travel. Follow these tips to avoid having a “deer in the headlights” moment.

Think twice next time you roll down your window to toss that piece of garbage. It can interfere with freeway drainage systems during monsoon storms.