Dust Storm in Sw & W Kootenai, Idaho

An unusual dust storm swept from eastern Washington into parts of the Idaho panhandle late on the afternoon of September 25. The combination of an extended drought, freshly plowed fields from the August wheat harvest, and a dry cold front containing wind gusts of 35 to 40 miles an hour led to the widespread dust storm. Visibilities of two miles or less affected widespread areas. The following is a rundown of minimum visibilities reported at ASOS sites: Lewiston...1 mile (variable from 1/2 to 2 miles), Coeur D'Alene...1 mile, and Pullman-Moscow...2 miles. Light rain on the evening of the 25th knocked most of the dust from the air.