Weather

Who says safety messages have to be humorless or uninteresting? Not us and certainly not anyone out there who has taken part in Haboob Haiku: Year Two!

We’re loving all the Haboob Haikus that have been rolling in this week… Like last year, this poetry challenge with the funny name has helped us accomplish an important goal, which is to get people talking about the danger of driving in dust storms. Because we cannot forget that dust storms can pose very real risks to motorists in this state – just take a look at the video above for proof.

Last year, ADOT launched its very first “Haboob Haiku” challenge in an effort to spread the word about dust storm safety and the response was pretty amazing. That’s actually a huge understatement ... Not only did we receive over 600 original haikus (some even by phone and snail mail), but #HaboobHaiku yielded stories in media outlets all over the world (they even wrote about it in New Zealand!).

It’s that time of year again. Temperatures are dropping across the state and some areas have already seen snow.

At ADOT we always want to give drivers a warning of what’s coming up on the road ahead... Whether it’s an impending freeway closure or a new type of traffic signal, we try our very best to get the word out ahead of time so motorists know what to expect. But, sometimes something will impact our roads (and the ability to drive them) quickly and without much notice, making it all the more difficult to get the message out.

Last week we received a blog comment requesting an update on the I-17 bridges that span over Pinewood Boulevard in Munds Park. We thought it was a great suggestion and figured a blog post was in order!

The official start of winter is approaching, but the cold weather is already here! Over the past few weeks, we’ve told you how ADOT prepares for the snowy conditions common this time of year in Arizona’s high country.

Snow-covered, icy highways get swift attention from ADOT crews each winter, but some routes face factors so severe, that completely closing the road down for a few months is the best option.

Arizona isn’t known for its harsh, winter weather conditions, but that doesn’t mean we don’t see some considerable snowfall during our colder months.