Earth

Dust and high winds rip Midwest and Great Plains

Posted by
Kelly Kizer Whitt
and
Deborah Byrd
and
May 13, 2022
A huge cloud of dust over a farmer's field.
Dust and high winds battered the U.S. Midwest and Great Plains on Thursday, May 12, 2022. Image via @vincentaffatat2 on Twitter.

Dust and high winds

First, there were dust storm warnings. Then came a derecho that ripped through the U.S. Midwest and Great Plains on Thursday (May 12, 2022). The National Weather Service was urging people not to drive. The Weather Channel reported Thursday evening that hurricane-force winds blew over large semi-trailer trucks on highways, and uprooted trees. There were reports of gusts between 70 and 107 mph (112 and 172 kph) in some areas. The incredible photos and footage of dust and high winds on this page were posted to Twitter from the states of Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota. Wow! The Weather Channel said Friday morning:

A fast-moving line of severe thunderstorms called a derecho developed in central Nebraska Thursday afternoon and raced northeast into the Dakotas and Minnesota. A derecho is a long-lived complex of thunderstorms that can produce wind damage hundreds of miles long and tens of miles wide with winds sometimes up to 100 mph (160 kph) or higher.

And it’s not over yet.

From The Weather Channel: Severe Thunderstorms Possible From Midwest to Plains Into the Weekend

From the National Weather Service: The 1-day forecast.

Bottom line: Dust and high winds battered the U.S. Midwest and Great Plains during the day on Thursday. The same conditions were expected to continue into Thursday night.

Posted 
May 13, 2022
 in 
Earth

Kelly Kizer Whitt

View Articles
About the Author:
Kelly Kizer Whitt has been a science writer specializing in astronomy for more than two decades. She began her career at Astronomy Magazine, and she has made regular contributions to AstronomyToday and the Sierra Club, among other outlets. Her children’s picture book, Solar System Forecast, was published in 2012. She has also written a young adult dystopian novel titled A Different Sky. When she is not reading or writing about astronomy and staring up at the stars, she enjoys traveling to the national parks, creating crossword puzzles, running, tennis, and paddleboarding. Kelly lives in Wisconsin.

Deborah Byrd

View Articles
About the Author:
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.

Like what you read?
Subscribe and receive daily news delivered to your inbox.

Your email address will only be used for EarthSky content. Privacy Policy
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

More from 

Kelly Kizer Whitt

View All
Severe storms, tornadoes ravage central US
April 26, 2024
Meet the Chamaeleon, a southern constellation
April 25, 2024
Antarctic meteorites are sinking in melting ice
April 22, 2024
Comet Pons-Brooks closest to the sun on April 21
April 21, 2024