Stand By For More Dust Ahead, Metro Phoenix
After 119 days of no rain, Monday's monsoon promptly dumped an inch of water on central Phoenix.
The heaviest band of rain stretched from Laveen to Superstition Springs as the storm moved across the Valley's mid-section.
But meteorologist Matt Pace with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality noted more dust than measurable rain will continue to move along the southern fringes of metro Phoenix, especially from Pinal County.
"That's where a lot of our dust comes from," he said. "So, as soon as they get rain, we'll start to see that dust sort of settle down, but right now we are still concerned about some dust moving in from the Pinal County area."
Pace says another band of rain expected by Tuesday next week should do the trick to knock back a lot of the dust.
Until it does, he urged anyone with trouble breathing to limit outside activity as the monsoon dust storms approach.
Soon, that will get easier to plan for as the department prepares to launch the nation's first hourly ozone pollution forecast website.
"Right now, our forecasts give you just one value for the day for ozone, for dust, and for smoke," Pace said.
The up-to-the-hour pollution forecast website will be the first of its kind in the nation when it launches over the summer.
Pace said ADEQ programmers are also working on a pollution forecast smart phone app.
