El PASO, Texas – A vast dust storm swept through western Texas on Thursday afternoon, engulfing the city in an unusual orange hue. Footage captured in El Paso depicted a surreal sight as a thick cloud of dust obscured the sky, leaving only shades of reddish-orange from the sun visible.
With winds gusting at speeds exceeding 40 mph for hours, a peak gust of 52 mph was recorded at El Paso’s Airport during the time of the video. As winds raced across the dry plains of eastern New Mexico and western Texas, they picked up dirt and dust, enveloping towns along their path.
The gusts and dust gradually subsided on Thursday night, but another episode of blowing dust was anticipated on Friday. By Friday afternoon, gusts were on the rise again, surpassing 40 mph, and a Blowing Dust Advisory remained in place until Friday evening.
Source: Witness the Spectacle as El Paso’s Skies Transform into an Ominous Orange During Epic Texas Dust Storm.
