Arizona Weather Force has issued a Thunderstorm Watch and Metro Dust Storm Warning effective Sunday, March 29th, 2026, for the following zones;
Issued Zones: Pima, Santa Cruz, Cochise, Pinal, Maricopa, and Yuma County … Southern half of La Paz County …
Date Issued: March 29, 2026 at 10:20am local
Watch Discussion: An unusual weather pattern for the next couple of days is happening as the ridge that brought the way above normal March heatwave level temperatures to the region shoves east of the forecast zones. This is acting a lot like a monsoon pattern where thunderstorms in Northwest Mexico have sent outflow boundaries into Arizona. As the day moves along, this afternoon we will see a lot of thunderstorms forming in Southern Arizona, mainly across Santa Cruz and Central Pima County, along a line from southeast to northwest.
Given the drier low levels, expecting these to produce downburst winds and microbursts. This will surge north and westward, outward from the storms this evening into the Dust Storm Warning zones of Pinal, Maricopa, Yuma, Cochise, and La Paz County. This could easily create visibility to zero as a result of those 30-60 mph wind gusts, so traveling in the warnings areas this evening should be met with caution. As with the last wind event, it is possible a ground stop will happen at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport again.
So there you have it, two separate areas of focus on the majority of what will be seen today.
A Thunderstorm Watch is issued at Arizona Weather Force when conditions are possible for thunderstorms, covering 50% of the watch zone. Thunderstorm Watches at Arizona Weather Force are private, issued ahead of time to the public by AZWF as the lead-time is extremely important to you.
A Dust Storm Warning is issued here at Arizona Weather Force when outflow from thunderstorms moving near or overhead produces a dust storm that would reduce visibility to near or at zero. Weather Alerts at Arizona Weather Force are private, issued ahead of time to the public by AZWF as the lead-time is extremely important to you.
Raiden Storm
Master General Meteorologist ( D13 )