Dust Devils you say?

One of the reasons I was anxious to get out of the Midwest is because I HATED the weather, especially tornadoes. Imagine how surprised I was when I witnessed my first Arizona style cyclone, or Dust Devil.

While I was out driving today I spotted a dust devil and after pointing it out to my clients I realized that most people new to Tucson have no clue what they are. A Dust Devil is a rotating updraft that's generally about three feet in diameter with a maximum speed of 45 mph. The rotating winds pull loose debris like sand, weeds and gravel from the ground and raise them into the "funnel" as it follows it's short lived (less then a minute) route along the desert and roadways. While dust devils are usually harmless, they can be annoying if they set their path through you backyard picnic. On occasion there have been stronger dust devils recorded, with winds in excess of 75 mph. I witnessed one several years ago that blew over large event tents and folding tables at a tennis tournament. The biggest hazard that dust devils produce is the flying gravel that can crack your windshield. My advice is if you see a dust devil avoid it; get under cover or pull over and wait for it to pass. Better to be safe then dusty!