2 weeks Ago By Elliott Greene
The skies over Texas appeared gray as dust, carried from the West, settled over Houston and surrounding areas. Residents observed the sun partially obscured by the dust, brought on by strong northwest winds gusting over 30 mph, according to Click2Houston. The dust originated from a severe weather event further west, where it was lifted into the air.
Last Saturday, visibility in Houston was impacted by a natural event, with dust remnants from West Texas's dust storms last Friday being the cause. A low-pressure system combined with a Pacific cold front to intensify the conditions. According to the Houston Chronicle, wind gusts reached between 70 and 85 mph, contributing to wildfires, power outages, and reducing visibility to near zero across the Texas Panhandle and much of West Texas.
After the front passed and calm settled in, the lingering dust drifted eastward into Houston, causing temporary haze over the city.The dust influx, primarily a visual concern, led to a slight increase in allergy symptoms for some Houstonians. Air quality improved as the day went on, with the dust expected to move out of the region by the evening.
While the dust raised some health concerns, meteorologists stated that the particulate presence would be temporary and have minimal impact on residents.In addition to the dusty haze, Houston faced the risk of fire. Dry conditions, along with strong westerly winds, led to a red flag warning for the Houston metro area, which was in effect until 9 p.
m. last Saturday. "The warning is due to gusty winds, along with very dry air moving in," the Houston Chronicle detailed.
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