Dust Storm and High Wind in California, February 15, 2022

Name: Dust Storm and High Wind in California, February 15, 2022
Start: 2022-02-15T02:42
End: 2022-02-15T14:45
Location: California

February 15, 2022 · NWS VEF · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Low pressure diving out of the Gulf of Alaska brought downslope winds to the Owens Valley and dust storm conditions to Death Valley.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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: 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 VEF wrote it up.

Low pressure diving out of the Gulf of Alaska brought downslope winds to the Owens Valley and dust storm conditions to Death Valley.

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 Las Vegas, NV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 14, 7:25 PM PST, 7 hours 17 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 14, 7:25 PM PST, 7 hours 17 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

1 high wind, 1 dust storm. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Owens Valley

When: February 15, 2:42 AM PST
Where: Owens Valley forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet

This gust occurred 4 miles NW of Independence.

Dust Storm, Death Valley National Park

When: February 15, 11:45 AM PST to 2:45 PM PST
Where: Death Valley National Park forecast zone
Reported by: Park/Forest Service
Coordinates: 36.511, -117.411 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dust storm conditions caused zero visibility in Death Valley for three hours, and power was out in Furnace Creek for six hours.

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
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 California in 2022 Every state in 2022 This day in weather history Warnings in California, February 2022

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: 1008142, 1008143.