Earlier this week, an unusually large dust storm blew its way across parts of Utah, Nevada, and California. Satellite images now show the extent of the storm as seen from high above.
The dust storm, which struck the southwestern U.S. this past Tuesday, was caused by a cold front that moved across the region. In some areas, the resulting 70 mph (112 km) gusts stirred up considerable dust, reducing visibility to a quarter mile in some areas. A 17-vehicle pileup on the I-80 resulted in one death and over 25 injuries.
The cold front just came through! Visibilities are down to 1/4 mile in the dust storm. #UofU #utwx pic.twitter.com/pBylKTcsVb
— Utah Weather Center (@UofUWeather) April 14, 2015
The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s DIMSS Satellite Blog has posted some images and animations showing how the dust storm appeared from space. The gif above shows the hazy outline of a thick cloud of dust as it moves southwest across southern Nevada and parts of Southern California. The images were captured by the GOES-13 satellite.
Above is a Terra and Aqua MODIS image showing temperature variations within the storm and the advancing cold front.
Lastly, here’s a true-color shot of the storm, via MODIS and VIIRS.
