Strong Wind — Moses Lake Area, Washington

2021-03-28 · Moses Lake Area, Washington

Event narrative

Strong winds from a passing cold front created dangerous driving conditions in the dry Columbia Basin. The peak wind gusts reached 40-50 mph across the area, which included Moses Lake, Ephrata, and Othello. A significant portion of Interstate 90 and State Route 26 were closed due to blowing dust. The reduced visibility on SR-26, southeast of Othello, caused an eight car pile up. There were two, non-life threatening injuries.

Wider weather episode

A passing cold front produced strong winds in eastern Washington on March 28th. Winds reached gusts of 50-65 mph. These powerful winds produced blowing dust in the dry Columbia Basin and damage due to downed trees in much of far eastern Washington. Blowing dust had significant impact on travel creating poor visibility on major interstates and highways. The strongest winds and damage occurred in the late afternoon and early evening which created hazardous roadways for the evening commute.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 949517. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.