Dust Storm — Upper Columbia Basin, Washington

2020-10-30 · Upper Columbia Basin, Washington

Event narrative

The National Weather Service Spokane office reported that a dust plume decreased visibility to 1/2 mile in Ritzville near Interstate 90.

Wider weather episode

A cold front swept across the Inland Northwest early October 30th. It was too dry to offer much moisture to many locations at lower elevations. As the wind strengthened, dust and ash in the Columbia Basin and Waterville Plateau was kicked up in the air. With the front, strong wind gusts, 40-50 mph, carried it further east into locations, such as the Spokane area. The thick dust plumes were seen via satellite in the late morning and early afternoon. There were sudden reductions in road visibility on high traffic roads, such as Highway 2 and Interstate 90.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 923890. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.