By Dan Schreiber
A cold front with wind gusts near 35 miles per hour is blowing dust into the Del Rio area from the northwest.
A Red Flag Warning is in effect for the region, indicating favorable conditions for wildfire spread. Winds as high as 40 miles per hour are forecasted through early this evening, with
relative humidity values as low as 15 percent.
relative humidity values as low as 15 percent.Blowing dust is rather uncommon in Del Rio, although it does occur from time-to-time under drought conditions combined with breezy northwesterly winds.
It is more prevalent in the Permian Basin near Midland, as well as along the Texas Panhandle. Nonetheless, if conditions are dry enough through Val Verde County, blowing dust can significantly reduce visibility across the region and lead to very hazy skies.
The dust over Del Rio this evening originated over the Southern Permian Basin near Fort Stockton, and travelled into the Rio Grande Plains of Val Verde and Kinney Counties. This dust was visible on satellite imagery.
Dan Schreiber is a certified consulting meteorologist residing in Del Rio, Texas, and the owner of STWX Strategic, a meteorology consulting company specializing in forensic meteorology investigations for the aviation, insurance, and legal industries.
