Doomsday? Hardly.

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Matt Drudge is always good for a headline and this one is accurate.  However, the video at the Drudge Report calls it the "Doomsday" cloud. This happens in Phoenix every so often and it is common enough that there is a word for it. It is called a haboob. And, if you click on the link, you'll see lots of similar images. In this case it was due to a complex of thunderstorms generating a huge "gust front" that picked up lots of dust and sand.

UPDATE: 10:37am, here is an excellent time-lapse of the haboob:

The Phoenix Haboob of July 5th, 2011 from Mike Olbinski on Vimeo.

Comments

  1. Mike DollJuly 6, 2011 at 10:25 AM

    My parents have lived in the Phoenix area since 1994 and it was the worst they have experienced (and yes, they have seen their fair share). The blowing dust at their house lasted about 3 hours. Not a drop of rain at their house, which was probably a good thing since cleaning up dust/dirt on a patio is easier than cleaning up mud.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The MonsterJuly 6, 2011 at 11:16 AM

    You gotta admit that to us Kansans, a dust cloud that large brings up images of the Dust Bowl that went on for years.

    ReplyDelete

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