Many North Texas residents found that their cars had been blanketed in a layer of dust on Monday morning.
A storm system carrying large dust clouds from West Texas blew eastward and into Dallas-Fort Worth on Sunday night, leaving vehicles across the metroplex coated in a thin layer of yellowish dirt and dust.
The perplexing appearance of dust on cars prompted some North Texas residents to share their experience online.
“Anybody have a ton of dust on their cars this morning?” asked one user on Twitter. Another Twitter user described the sight as “a streaky rust-stained toilet bowl on the windshield.”
While some North Texas residents were surprised by the layer of dust, others were expecting the seasonal phenomenon.
The sudden appearance of dust and dirt on vehicles is common for this time of year, according to Steve Fano, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. The dust originated in West Texas from farmers who had begun plowing and tilling their fields in preparation for seasonal planting, Fano told The Dallas Express.
“There were between 60 and 75 miles per hour winds out in West Texas yesterday. So, all that dust got picked up and blown in this direction,” he explained.
Not only did the West Texas dust dirty people’s vehicles Sunday night, but it also lowered the air quality throughout North Texas, according to WFAA meteorologist Mariel Ruiz.
The haze caused by the West Texas dust resulted in “slightly lower visibility” and “moderate air quality” on weather charts at 6 a.m. this morning, tweeted Ruiz.
If DFW residents have dust sensitivities, then it is recommended that they limit time spent outdoors until temperatures cause the dust to clear.
While North Texas was mostly spared from the strong winds, Oklahoma wasn’t so fortunate. In Oklahoma, strong westerly winds resulted in multiple tornadoes and significant property damage.
This article confirmed my suspicions that West Texas had been deposited by the rain. A car in our driveway looked like it had rained mud the night before.