Dust Storm Warning Issued for Ector, Ward, Winkler, and Crane Counties in West Texas

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Midland/Odessa has issued a Dust Storm Warning for portions of western Texas. The alert was issued at 3:24 PM CDT on March 10 following the detection of a dust channel over Monahans via Doppler radar.

Affected Areas

The warning covers the following geographic regions in western Texas:

• Southwestern Ector County
• Northeastern Ward County
• Southeastern Winkler County
• Northwestern Crane County

Specific locations impacted include Monahans, Thorntonville, Wickett, Roy Hurd Memorial Airport, and Monahans Sandhills State Park. This warning specifically includes Interstate 20 between mile markers 69 and 93.

What You Should Do

Residents and travelers in the warning area are urged to take the following actions:

• Drivers: Avoid dust storms if possible. If caught in one, pull far off the road and put your vehicle in park. Turn off your lights and keep your foot off the brake to prevent other vehicles from following your tail lights.
• Health Precautions: Infants, the elderly, and those with respiratory issues are urged to take precautions against the dust.
• Safety: Be prepared for a sudden drop to zero visibility, which creates dangerous, life-threatening travel conditions.

Expected Conditions

At 3:23 PM CDT, a dust channel was observed over Monahans. Expected hazards include:

• Visibility: Less than a quarter mile visibility, with potential for sudden drops to near zero.
• Wind: Damaging wind speeds in excess of 60 mph.
• Current Observations: One quarter mile visibility was measured at the Monahans AWOS.

Timeline

The Dust Storm Warning is effective immediately and is scheduled to expire at 4:00 PM CDT on March 10, 2026.