In the aftermath of our recent hurricane / tropical storms (last month), our desert has been experiencing a unique and relentless phenomenon.
This dust cloud is filled with fine sand being picked up and deposited all over the valley with simply the lightest of wind. From Indio to Palm Springs, the sky is hazy and you can barely see the mountains through a brown fuzz. It's thick enough to coat our cars, cover our patios, and keep us from enjoying our slightly cooler temperatures.
On top of that, this dust cloud seems to appear and disappear at the oddest of times. It has been forcing the Palm Springs offramp to close due to wind and sand warnings. Thus funneling all traffic through Ramon and Highway 111 and leaving many of us in quite a bit of uncommon heavy traffic.
A “Windblown Dust Advisory” was issued for Coachella Valley this past week. The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) said the advisory will be in effect until Friday, warning that winds may kick up sand and other surface deposits that pose potential health impacts.
Areas included in the SCAQMD advisory are Cathedral City, Desert Center, Indio, Mecca, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, and Thermal. Wind speeds are expected to average 12 to 14 mph, with gusts to 30 mph across the desert, forecasters said.
The storm tilled up all of the thin and light silt that had been encrusted in our desert’s earth and now it’s airborne.
So keep your eyes peeled, and maybe wear a scarf or mask to prevent allergies because this dust cloud doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.
