Dust Storm — Riverside County Eastern Deserts, California

2012-01-08 · Riverside County Eastern Deserts, California

Event narrative

Strong, gusty north to northwest winds developed across eastern Riverside county during the morning hours on January 8th. The atmosphere was very dry and the gusty winds, in excess of 35 mph, led to development of dust storm conditions over portions of the county. At noon, fire department and rescue personnel reported dust and sand reducing visibility along Interstate 10 7 miles west of Blythe. Poor visibility was reported westward to Desert Center. In addition, a trained weather spotter reported visibility below one quarter mile 25 miles west of Blythe on Interstate 10, with similar conditions occuring west through Desert Center. Fortunately, no accidents or injuries were reported due to the dense blowing dust and sand.

Wider weather episode

Strong and gusty north to northwest winds developed across Riverside county on the 9th of January, and peak gusts in excess of 35 developed over the lower deserts. The strong winds coupled with very dry conditions led to areas of dense blowing dust. Dust storm conditions were observed west of the lower Colorado River valley during the late morning hours, affecting motorists on Interstate 10 west of Blythe.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 358291. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.