oDoug, pioneer should probably have posted links to these when he opened the topic so we'd all be on the same page:
MRO CTX Spots Dust Devils at Phoenix Landing SiteMy take on itI agree that the dust devils pose no specific threat. And they're part of a fairly well understood pattern of the polar response to the coming of spring.
Still, I'm a bit curious to know what the Phoenix team's models say about the amount of dust that is fluttering around in the air, and at what rate it's likely to settle on the solar panels. I don't think dust will pose a problem during the primary mission, but since the life of the lander is strictly limited by power as the Sun sinks toward fall, dust will probably be an important factor in how long the lander clings to life.
--Emily