Dust Storm — Washington Palouse, Washington

2024-09-29 · Washington Palouse, Washington

Event narrative

Several reports of dust storm reducing visibility to around quarter of mile during the afternoon. The area covered was Oakesdale to South of Palouse and along state route 195 near Steptoe to the the Idaho border. Time is estimated from satellite data.

Wider weather episode

A dry cold front pushed through the region on September 29. It brought strong winds ranging from 40 to 53 MPH across the Columbia Basin. The region had very little precipitation for several weeks prior and also saw an increase in agricultural activity for the season. The winds picked up the dry, loose dirt and caused a dust storm stretching from Soap Lake area into the Pullman area.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1219034. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.