Alert archive / California / Dust Storm Warnings in 2021

Dust Storm Warning 2, NWS Phoenix, AZ

March 15, 2021Imperial County, California

NWS Phoenix, AZ issued this dust storm warning at Mar 15, 2021, 6:17 PM PDT for Imperial County, California. It was in force for 88 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Mar 15, 2021, 6:17 PM PDT (01:17 UTC)
Expired
Mar 15, 2021, 7:45 PM PDT
In force
88 min
Issued by
NWS Phoenix, AZ
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Imperial County, CA

The radar

The San Diego radar (KNKX), 107 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:17 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

San Diego, CA (KNKX), launched 00:00Z, 1.3 hours before the alert went out and 125 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, San Diego, CA at 00:00Z on 2021-03-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, San Diego, CA at 00:00Z on 2021-03-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 52 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
2 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-4 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1105 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
80 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
52 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
323 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

216 
WWUS55 KPSR 160119
DSWPSR

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Dust Storm Warning
National Weather Service Phoenix AZ
617 PM PDT Mon Mar 15 2021

CAC025-160245-
/O.NEW.KPSR.DS.W.0002.210316T0117Z-210316T0245Z/
Imperial CA-
617 PM PDT Mon Mar 15 2021

The National Weather Service in Phoenix has issued a

* Dust Storm Warning for...
  Northwestern Imperial County in southeastern California...

* Until 745 PM PDT.

* At 617 PM PDT, a dust channel was 9 miles southeast of Salton City,
  moving toward the east.

  HAZARD...Near zero visibility with strong wind in excess of 40 
           mph.

  SOURCE...Law enforcement.

  IMPACT...Dangerous life-threatening travel.

* This includes the following highways...
  CA Route 78 between mile markers 1 and 20.
  CA Route 111 between mile markers 21 and 48, and between mile
  markers 57 and 61.
  CA Route 86 between mile markers 20 and 67.

Locations impacted include...
Brawley, Salton City, Westmorland, Salton Sea Beach, Desert Shores,
Bombay Beach, Calipatria, Niland, Winona, Alamorio, Coolidge Springs
and Wiest.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Dust storms lead to dangerous driving conditions with visibility
reduced to near zero. If driving, avoid dust storms if possible. If
caught in one, pull off the road, turn off your lights and keep your
foot off the brake.

&&

LAT...LON 3308 11609 3312 11608 3342 11609 3343 11593
      3329 11549 3295 11541 3299 11605 3307 11611
TIME...MOT...LOC 0117Z 278DEG 6KT 3317 11582 

$$

INS
2 follow-up statements
277 
WWUS55 KPSR 160224
DSWPSR

Dust Storm Warning
National Weather Service Phoenix AZ
723 PM PDT Mon Mar 15 2021

CAC025-160245-
/O.CON.KPSR.DS.W.0002.000000T0000Z-210316T0245Z/
Imperial CA-
723 PM PDT Mon Mar 15 2021

...A DUST STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 745 PM PDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN IMPERIAL COUNTY...

At 723 PM PDT, a dust channel was near Salton City, moving toward 
the east.

  HAZARD...Near zero visibility with strong wind in excess of 40 
           mph.

  SOURCE...Law enforcement.

  IMPACT...Dangerous life-threatening travel.

This includes the following highways...
CA Route 78 between mile markers 1 and 13.
CA Route 86 between mile markers 29 and 67.

Locations impacted include...
Salton City, Salton Sea Beach, Desert Shores, Coolidge Springs and
Winona.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Dust storms lead to dangerous driving conditions with visibility
reduced to near zero. If driving, avoid dust storms if possible. If
caught in one, then pull off the road, turn off your lights and keep
your foot off the brake.

&&

LAT...LON 3308 11609 3312 11608 3342 11609 3343 11601
      3335 11593 3302 11562 3306 11610 3306 11611
TIME...MOT...LOC 0223Z 282DEG 2KT 3320 11591 

$$

INS
651 
WWUS55 KPSR 160237
DSWPSR

Dust Storm Warning
National Weather Service Phoenix AZ
737 PM PDT Mon Mar 15 2021

CAC025-160247-
/O.EXP.KPSR.DS.W.0002.000000T0000Z-210316T0245Z/
Imperial CA-
737 PM PDT Mon Mar 15 2021

...THE DUST STORM WARNING FOR NORTHWESTERN IMPERIAL COUNTY WILL
EXPIRE AT 745 PM PDT...

The dust storm which prompted the warning has weakened. Therefore,
the dust storm warning will be allowed to expire. Areas of blowing
dust will continue to make travel difficult.

LAT...LON 3308 11609 3312 11608 3342 11609 3343 11601
      3335 11593 3302 11562 3306 11610 3306 11611
TIME...MOT...LOC 0237Z 278DEG 6KT 3320 11589 

$$

INS

The office that day

Everything else NWS Phoenix, AZ issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 15, 11:33 PM PDTWind AdvisoryPSRImperial7 hr

Nearby

Dust Storm Warnings in California, 2021Every dust storm warning in 2021

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.