Several people experienced a pretty wild weather phenomenon in Montana on Wednesday as high winds reaching over 80 miles per hour kicked up massive clouds of dust. According to KRTV3, these high winds managed to create a phenomenon known as a haboob in the area near Havre, Montana, forming a huge wall of dirt and dust. Damage in the area included knocked over trees, several destroyed car ports, and power outages.
A haboob is a powerful dust and sand storm that occurs in hot, arid regions around the world. The term comes from the Arabic word haab, meaning wind or blow. While they are often associated with deserts like the Sahara, the Arabian Peninsula, and North Africa, haboobs also strike in the Unites States, particularly in the American Southwest’s Sonoran Desert. They’re typically triggered by monsoon systems and worsened by drought conditions. When one strikes it tends to be dramatic, with a towering wall of dust reaching up to 10,000 feet high barreling forward at speeds of up to 60 mph and reducing visibility to virtually zero.
Haboobs form when air is forced downward and pushed ahead by a traveling thunderstorm cell, dragging dust and debris along with it. Though they are intense, most haboobs are relatively brief, typically lasting only 10 to 30 minutes, though they can occasionally persist longer and create dangerous conditions for drivers, air traffic, and ground transportation. NOAA’s National Weather Service monitors these storms using radar and issues warnings to help keep the public safe.
