Dust Storm — Upper Columbia Basin, Washington

2021-04-13 · Upper Columbia Basin, Washington

Event narrative

Strong winds and dry conditions resulted in blowing dust and near zero visibility in southern Adams County. A National Weather Service employee reported blowing dust on US-395 south of Ritzville. There were numerous walls of dust across State Route 26, from Hatton Coulee to Othello, with zero visibility. No known accidents or injuries.

Wider weather episode

A shortwave trough's arrival led to tightening pressure gradients and gusty winds in eastern Washington on April 13th. Daytime winds reached gusts in the range of 30-40 mph across the Waterville Plateau, Moses Lake Area, and Upper Columbia Basin. Fields were in the season where top soil is more easily blown around, drought conditions persist, and little recent rainfall across this area. These conditions, with the strong winds, led to widespread blowing dust across the Columbia Basin.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 954706. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.