Drivers heading through southeastern Arizona on Interstate 10 got a harsh reminder Friday that the desert can turn on you fast, as blowing dust rolled into the Bowie area, slashing visibility and turning a routine drive into a risky one. The advisory covered stretches of I-10 east of Willcox and into the San Simon corridor, where visibility can drop to nearly zero in a matter of moments. State transportation officials urged motorists to never drive into a dust storm and to follow safety steps if they cannot get off the highway.
In a social post, the Arizona Department of Transportation reported “dust coming in near I-10 in the Bowie area” and noted that a dust storm warning was in effect until 6:00 p.m. MST for I-10 near Bowie and I-10 near San Simon, according to Arizona DOT. The agency directed drivers to its Pull Aside, Stay Alive safety materials and warned that conditions could lead to temporary slowdowns or closures as visibility deteriorated.
Warnings and Weather Products
The National Weather Service office in Tucson issued dust advisories that included the I-10 corridor between Bowie and San Simon and cautioned that visibility could plummet quickly, making travel hazardous, according to NWS Tucson. Local broadcasters amplified the alert and reported that sections of I-10 might be slowed or temporarily closed until the worst of the dust moved out, per KGUN.
Pull Aside, Stay Alive: Step-by-Step
ADOT’s Pull Aside, Stay Alive guidance lays out what to do if you cannot safely exit the highway as a dust storm closes in. Drivers are told to check traffic around them, slow down, and pull completely off the paved surface, not stopping in a travel lane. They should turn off all vehicle lights, including hazard flashers, take their foot off the brake, set the parking brake, and stay inside the vehicle with seat belts fastened until the storm passes, according to Arizona DOT. The approach is designed to prevent other motorists from using the lights of a stopped vehicle as a guide in near-zero visibility, which can lead to high-speed rear-end crashes. Officials also suggest avoiding remote stretches of I-10 when advisories are in effect, if travel plans allow.
Why This Stretch of I-10 Is So Dangerous
Bowie and San Simon sit in broad, flat country where strong outflow winds from summer storms can scoop up loose soil and turn it into fast-moving walls of dust. Transportation studies have highlighted the need for detection and warning systems in this corridor, citing the recurring danger, according to federal documentation on ADOT’s DUST program. Sensor networks and camera feeds are used to trigger alerts and activate message signs that can slow or halt traffic when visibility crashes, as local reporting on ADOT’s detection work shows, per ABC15.
What Drivers Should Do Now
Anyone planning a trip through southeastern Arizona is urged to check real-time traveler information at AZ 511 and keep an eye on National Weather Service updates for fresh advisories. If you run into a dust storm on I-10 and cannot safely exit, officials say to follow the Pull Aside, Stay Alive steps and wait it out in your vehicle until visibility improves enough to move on.
