GOES-18 captures blowing dust over southern New Mexico and northern Chihuahua. [Credit: NOAA]
NOAA’s satellites are helping scientists and forecasters learn more about where, when and why hazardous dust storms occur across southwestern North America.
An Airborne Threat to Health and Safety
Blowing dust events occur when strong winds loft particles of dust or sand from dry, sparsely vegetated ground into the air. When dust becomes airborne, it can degrade air quality and pose a serious hazard to our health, especially for people with respiratory conditions such as asthma. Other health impacts include reduced lung function and respiratory infections. Long-term or chronic exposure increases a person's risk for conditions such as heart disease and cancer.
It also jeopardizes our safety by reducing visibility on roadways, as well as damaging sensitive machinery and disrupting air travel.
“Blowing dust can develop quickly and lead to rapid reductions in visibility,” says Bill Line, Research Scientist at NOAA's Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) within the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS). “In some cases, conditions can deteriorate within minutes, creating dangerous travel situations for both drivers and aviation.”
In severe cases, visibility can drop to near zero within minutes, creating dangerous travel conditions. A blowing dust event contributed to a large multi-vehicle crash along Interstate 25 near Pueblo, Colorado, in February 2026 that resulted in several fatalities.
A haboob (dust storm) approaches NOAA's National Weather Service forecast office in Phoenix on August 11, 2012. [Credit: NOAA]
Satellites Providing Crucial Information
Scientists at NESDIS use NOAA satellite observations to study blowing dust and better understand where, when, and how it occurs, as well as its impacts and long-term trends. STAR recently published a study in which researchers analyzed blowing dust events from 2001 through 2020 across southwestern North America using long-term satellite data from NOAA’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES). The study offered insights into the seasonal patterns, geographic hotspots, and meteorological conditions most often associated with blowing dust across the arid region.
The southwestern United States and northern Mexico are prone to blowing dust due to their arid climate, frequent dry periods, and recurring strong winds. The study area included major desert regions such as the Chihuahuan Desert, the Great Basin Desert, and portions of the Southern and Central U.S. Plains.
Map showing the location of Chihuahuan and the Great Basin deserts. [Credit: NOAA]
The scientists collected infrared imagery from GOES to detect blowing dust. Certain infrared wavelengths are sensitive to airborne dust, making it possible for the scientists to pinpoint when and where dust plumes developed and track how they moved. Because GOES provides frequent, consistent coverage of the area, the researchers were able to monitor dust activity continuously during both day and night. The image below illustrates how GOES imagery captures blowing dust around the clock.
GOES-19 (GOES-East) GeoColor imagery (Day) and Color Vision Deficiency (CVD) Dust RGB imagery (Night) of two widespread blowing dust events (circled in black) across the southern Plains. True Color imagery highlights dust during daylight hours, while the CVD Dust RGB enables tracking of dust both day and night, though at slightly lower spatial resolution. [Credit: NOAA, NESDIS, STAR]
The scientists collected infrared imagery from GOES to detect blowing dust. Certain infrared wavelengths are sensitive to airborne dust, making it possible for the scientists to pinpoint when and where dust plumes developed and track how they moved. Because GOES provides frequent, consistent coverage of the area, the researchers were able to monitor dust activity continuously during both day and night. The image below illustrates how GOES imagery captures blowing dust around the clock.
Spatial distribution of blowing dust initiation points (events) and their density across southwestern North America for 2001–2020. Warm colors indicate higher concentrations of events. [Credit: NOAA, NESDIS, STAR]
What the Study Found
The results showed that blowing dust events peak in the spring, when precipitation is typically minimal and soil conditions are dry. Over the 20-year study period, researchers identified more than 3,000 distinct dust plumes across the study area. They frequently originated in the Chihuahuan Desert and the agricultural regions of West Texas. Plumes most often develop around midday, when surface heating and stronger winds promote dust lofting. Activity also varied from year to year, with notable peaks in 2002–2003 and 2011–2012, periods coinciding with severe droughts.
“This dataset gives us a better understanding of where and when blowing dust begins.” Line said. “That information helps forecasters recognize the conditions that lead to these events and better anticipate and communicate hazardous blowing dust to the public.”