Dust Storm in Nevada, September 5, 2001

Name: Dust Storm in Nevada, September 5, 2001
Start: 2001-09-05T19:00
End: 2001-09-05T21:00
Location: Nevada

September 5, 2001 · NWS LKN · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

A strong cold front moving across northern Nevada caused widespread blowing dust with visibilities generally reduced between 1 to 3 miles with localized areas down to zero visibility.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS LKN wrote it up.

A strong cold front moving across northern Nevada caused widespread blowing dust with visibilities generally reduced between 1 to 3 miles with localized areas down to zero visibility.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Elko, NV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 5, 1:00 PM PST, 6 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 5, 1:00 PM PST, 6 hours before

NORTHERN GREAT BASIN FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKO NV
200 PM PDT WED SEP 5 2001

.SYNOPSIS...A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA
TONIGHT AND THURSDAY BRINGING MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES AND A SMALL
THREAT OF SHOWERS TO NORTHEAST NEVADA. HIGH PRESSURE WILL REBUILD
INTO THE REGION BEGINNING ON FRIDAY.

.DISCUSSION...UPPER TROUGH MOVING ACROSS WESTERN OREGON THIS
AFTERNOON WITH STRONG COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH SOUTHEAST OREGON.
COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP ACROSS HUMBOLDT COUNTY LATE AFTERNOON AND
PROGRESS TO NEAR THE UTAH BORDER NEAR MIDNIGHT. MODELS INDICATE
MOISTURE RATHER LIMITED WITH THIS SYSTEM WITH BEST MOISTURE IN OUR
FORECAST AREA ACROSS THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF NEVADA. LOOKING AT
SATELLITE PICTURES AND UPSTREAM OBSERVATIONS THIS LOOKS GOOD. WILL
GO WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS NORTHEAST AND NEAR THE OREGON BORDER
OTHERWISE DRY. ANY SHOWERS SHOULD END THURSDAY AFTERNOON AS GOOD
SUBSIDENCE BEHIND UPPER LOW MOVES INTO THE AREA. UPPER RIDGE BUILDS
INTO THE AREA FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. WEAK UPPER LOW OFF THE COAST
TO AFFECT NORTHERN NEVADA IN THE MONDAY/TUESDAY TIME FRAME BUT MODELS
INDICATE NOT MUCH MOISTURE SO WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP IT DRY.

COLLINS

.EKO...NONE.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 dust storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Dust Storm, Humboldt

When: September 5, 7:00 PM PST to 8:00 PM PST
Where: Humboldt forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.407, -118.112 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dust Storm, N Lander & N Eureka

When: September 5, 7:30 PM PST to 8:30 PM PST
Where: N Lander & N Eureka forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 39.959, -116.654 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dust Storm, Sw & Sc Elko

When: September 5, 7:30 PM PST to 8:30 PM PST
Where: Sw & Sc Elko forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Dust Storm, N Elko Cnty

When: September 5, 7:30 PM PST to 8:30 PM PST
Where: N Elko Cnty forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.146, -115.358 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dust Storm, X E Elko

When: September 5, 8:00 PM PST to 9:00 PM PST
Where: X E Elko forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 41.146, -115.358 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Dust Storm: Blowing dust that reduced visibility to a quarter mile or less.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Nevada in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Nevada, September 2001

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5266024, 5266025, 5266026, 5266027, 5266028.