Massive dust devil caught on camera in the Valley
Massive dust devil caught on camera in the Valley
A 12News viewer caught a massive dust devil, which looked more like a tornado, crossing the road in San Tan Valley on Saturday.
"That’s one of the largest dust devils I’ve ever seen!" 12News Meteorologist Chris Dunn said.
The dust devil was crossing Ironwood Road, 12News Weather Watcher Mrz Bleezy said.
A dust devil is a small, rapidly rotating column of air that forms on clear, hot days and picks up dust and debris as it moves.
What is the Valley?
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
Mesa
Chandler
Scottsdale
Tempe
Glendale
Surprise
Peoria
Gilbert
El Mirage
Avondale
Litchfield Park
Goodyear
Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
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