Dust Storm — Upper Columbia Basin, Washington

2024-09-29 · Upper Columbia Basin, Washington

Event narrative

Dust storm reduced visibility to less than a quarter mile. Trained spotter reported unable to see roadway. A two car wreck along Highway 21 was attributed to incident. The area coverage of dust was between Highway 21, I-90, and state route 28. Locations included Odessa, Mohler, and Ritzville. The stretch of I-90 through Ritzville is heavily traveled and many reports centered here. Time is estimated by 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 1219054. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.