See huge monsoon dust storm move into Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport
A dust storm is seen moving toward Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport on Aug. 25, 2025. A ground stop was issued at the airport due to thunderstorms, according to the FAA.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered a ground stop at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport because of rainy weather on Thursday, Oct. 9.
The ground stop was ordered at 2:45 p.m., remained in effect until 4 p.m., and was reimposed from 5:30 p.m. to about 6:20 p.m., according to the FAA.
As of 6:20 p.m., dozens of flights were delayed, most less than 2 hours, according to the Sky Harbor website.
Sky Harbor could experience further delays through the weekend as moisture from the remnants of Hurricane Priscilla moves into Arizona. The National Weather Service issued a flood watch, effective from noon on Friday, Oct. 10, to midnight on Sunday, Oct. 12.
How many flights were delayed at Phoenix Sky Harbor?What does a ground stop mean when flying?
The FAA can order a ground stop when it’s not safe for flights to take off or land at an airport.
It can also order a ground delay, which is when flights destined for an airport experiencing adverse conditions must delay their takeoffs, according to the FAA.
The FAA can order a ground delay or ground stop, but it does not cancel flights.
Michael Salerno is an award-winning journalist who’s covered travel and tourism since 2014. His work as The Arizona Republic’s consumer travel reporter aims to help readers navigate the stresses of traveling and get the best value for their money on their vacations. He can be reached at Michael.Salerno@gannett.com.
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