Blowing dust can lower visibility. If it’s less than a quarter mile, it’s considered a dust storm. There was quite a bit of blowing dust this past weekend in places like Gardnerville. While I couldn’t find any readings of the exact visibility at the time, you can tell by looking at photos and videos it was not great. This is similar to winter weather, when it is snowing so hard that it's hard to see. Our air quality can be impacted too. Dust storms can be short lived, but they can also have long lasting effects. They are not good for airplanes and can cause mechanical problems.
"I equate it generally to like when it snows and you need to be a safe cautious driver. Keep yourself visible, pull over if you do not think you can drive within your abilities and especially if you think you might be a hazard to other drivers,” said Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Hannah DeGoey.
From a far, dust storms look like a giant cloud. With as dry as we've been, it won't take much wind to blow dust around and lower visibility. However, this past weekend wind gusts were reaching speeds well over 40 miles per hour. Gardnerville saw a peak wind gust of 59 miles per hour. Wind gusts were around 80 to 90 miles per hour in the high Sierra. So it was plenty windy for blowing dust. We saw the blowing dust from sustained winds, but that is not always the case.
This can also happen during thunderstorm season from gusty outflow winds. Outflow winds can exceed 40 miles per hour and spread out in a variety of directions. If you do get caught in a dust storm and can’t pull over, remember to take it slow. This is similar to winter driving.
"If you can only see a short distance ahead of you, drive at a slow enough pace so you can react to anything in front of you on the roadway,” said DeGoey.
Dust storms can be miles long and several thousand feet high. If a meteorologist sees a dust storm they will issue a Dust Storm Warning. You can find them on satellite images and webcams. They can happen suddenly, so be careful.
