Blowing Dust and High Wind Warnings Issued for Northwest Kansas and Southwest Nebraska

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Goodland, KS, has issued a Blowing Dust Warning and a High Wind Warning. These alerts indicate widespread blowing dust, local brown-out conditions, and dangerously high wind speeds that pose a threat to life and property.

Affected Areas

The warnings cover the following regions:

• Kansas: Cheyenne, Decatur, Norton, and Rawlins Counties.
• Nebraska: Dundy County.

What You Should Do

Residents and travelers in the affected areas are urged to take the following precautions:

• Travel Safety: Be prepared for a sudden drop in visibility to near zero. If you encounter blowing dust on the road, pull off as far as possible and put your vehicle in park. Turn your lights all the way off and keep your foot off the brake pedal to avoid being hit by other vehicles. Remember the slogan: “Pull Aside, Stay Alive.”
• Health Precautions: Stay indoors if possible. If you must go outside, wear a protective breathing mask. High dust concentrations can aggravate asthma and cause respiratory or heart-related problems, particularly in children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing conditions.
• Property Protection: Fasten loose objects or move them to a safe location. Stay in the lower levels of your home and avoid windows to protect against falling debris and tree limbs.
• Driving Caution: High-profile vehicles should use extra caution as winds of this magnitude make driving extremely difficult.

Expected Conditions

• Wind: North winds between 35 to 45 mph are expected, with gusts reaching up to 65 mph.
• Visibility: Severely limited visibilities and pockets of near-zero visibility are likely due to plumes of blowing dust.
• Impacts: High winds may move loose debris, damage property, and cause power outages. Poor air quality is expected to persist for a prolonged period.

Timeline

• Blowing Dust Warning: Effective until 3:00 PM CDT (2:00 PM MDT) this afternoon.
• High Wind Warning: Effective until 9:00 PM CDT (8:00 PM MDT) this evening.