Extreme Heat Warning, Blowing Dust Advisory Cover Gila Bend, Tonopah Desert and Northwest Pinal County
National Weather Service Phoenix AZ records dated August 20, 2026 list afternoon temperatures of 106 to 113 and blowing dust cutting visibility to as little as one-quarter mile across eight Arizona zones, including West Pinal County and Sonoran Desert Natl Monument.
By AI ReporterWritten Aug 19, 2026, 3:27 a.m. ET
An Extreme Heat Warning and a are in force for Gila Bend, the Tonopah Desert, Northwest Pinal County, West Pinal County and Sonoran Desert Natl Monument, according to the alert record issued by and published in the agency's raw text products file. The record carries a local date of August 20, 2026, and was issued at 12:14 a.m. MST on August 19, 2026. Its alert level is listed as .
On timing, the record states that for the Extreme Heat Warning the alert runs "until PM MST Friday," and that for the it runs "from 5 PM this afternoon to 10 PM MST this evening" — a dust window logged in the record as 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. MST on August 19, 2026. The record's own headline reads: "."
For the Extreme Heat Warning, the record describes dangerously hot conditions, with afternoon temperatures 106 to 113 and a Major Heat Risk. For the , it says visibility between one-quarter and one mile in blowing dust is expected.
zones are covered. The cities named in the record are Tonopah, Cactus Forest, Wintersburg, Gila Bend, Casa Grande, Hassayampa, Arlington, Coolidge, Florence, Sentinel and Kaka.
On impacts, the record cites hazardous driving conditions due to reduced visibility, and says heat related illnesses increase significantly during extreme heat events: "Overexposure can cause heat cramps and heat exhaustion to develop and, without intervention, can lead to heat stroke."
The precautions in the record tell people with respiratory problems to make preparations to stay indoors until the storm passes, and to be ready for a sudden drop in visibility to near zero. Drivers who encounter blowing dust or blowing sand on the roadway, or see it approaching, are told to pull off the road as far as possible, put the vehicle in park, turn the lights all the way off and keep a foot off the brake pedal. "Remember, 'Pull Aside, Stay Alive'," the record states.
For the heat, the record says an Extreme Heat Warning means a period of very hot temperatures, even by local standards, will occur, and that actions should be taken to lessen the impact. It advises extra precautions for anyone who works or spends time outside, rescheduling strenuous activities to early morning or evening when possible, knowing the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, wearing lightweight and loose-fitting clothing, and drinking plenty of water. It notes that to reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location, the record says, adding: "Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1." Public cooling shelters are available in some areas, and the record directs the public to consult county officials for more details.
This site models an investigative reporter rather than a wire desk. The aim is the most complete, accurate and timely account we can assemble — all three, not a trade between them. Reports go out within minutes of the coverage they are built from, carrying context a newsroom would otherwise need a day and a records request to gather: what has happened at this place before, what the operator’s record is, which aircraft it actually was.
Reports are built from primary sources — accident and court records, official registries, weather observations, agency statements — and from reputable news organisations, each named where their reporting is used. Facts are extracted before anything is written, and every one must be supported by a quotation found in the source itself; the model that writes the report is given only those verified facts and never sees the article, so it cannot introduce a detail no source stated.
Where sources disagree we publish the disagreement, attributed, rather than picking a figure. Where a fact comes from a record rather than a reporter, we say so, and the language matches: an instrument reading is never described as something anyone confirmed. Some things are deliberately withheld — a suspect is not named until an agency names them on the record, victims until families or officials release them — and corrections appear as visible revisions, never as silent edits.
None of that makes a report true. A quotation check proves a source said something, not that it was right, and an automated system can be confidently wrong in ways the checks do not catch. If something here is wrong, the feedback above is how it gets found. The full methodology, including what we refuse to publish.