Due to climate change, dust storms have become more frequent in the Sonoran Desert, driven by rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and increased soil erosion.

Climate change has intensified dust storms (haboobs) in the Sonoran Desert, primarily due to higher temperatures, prolonged droughts, and decreased vegetation cover. As rainfall patterns shift and extreme heat dries out the soil, strong winds lift loose dust and sand into massive, fast-moving walls of dust, reducing visibility and affecting air quality. While flooding can occur after monsoon rains, it is not as frequent as dust storms. Hurricanes and snowstorms are rare in this desert region. One of the most urgent environmental issues associated with climate change in the Sonoran Desert is dust storms, which provide significant hazards to local ecosystems, human health, and transportation.