Washington, 2009

Dust Storm in Washington, October 4, 2009

October 4, 2009 · NWS OTX · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Northeast winds of 20 to 30 mph resulted in a severe dust storm with visibilities near zero over southeast Grant County and western Adams County, including the cities of Othello, Warden, and Odessa. A total of 11 indirect injuries in Grant County occurred due to motor vehicle collisions from the dust storm.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
11
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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 OTX wrote it up.

Northeast winds of 20 to 30 mph resulted in a severe dust storm with visibilities near zero over southeast Grant County and western Adams County, including the cities of Othello, Warden, and Odessa. A total of 11 indirect injuries in Grant County occurred due to motor vehicle collisions from the dust storm. Widespread road closures resulted from the storm, including Interstate 90 between Moses Lake and Ritzville for most of the day on October 4th.

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 Spokane, WA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 4, 3:45 AM PST, 3 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 4, 3:45 AM PST, 3 hours 15 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 4, 5:29 AM PST, 1 hour 31 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Oct 4, 1:29 AM PST, 5 hours 31 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 dust storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Dust Storm, Moses Lake Area

When
October 4, 7:00 AM PST to 6:30 PM PST
Where
Moses Lake Area forecast zone
Injuries
0 direct, 11 indirect
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
47.095, -119.006 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dust Storm, Upper Columbia Basin

When
October 4, 7:00 AM PST to 6:30 PM PST
Where
Upper Columbia Basin forecast zone
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
47.610, -119.173 (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

More

Every storm in Washington in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, October 2009

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 197021, 197022.