A sudden dust storm rolled across west-central Grant County on Sunday afternoon, turning a stretch of Interstate 90 between George and Moses Lake into a near whiteout and prompting warnings that conditions could turn life threatening in a hurry.
The National Weather Service office in Spokane issued a Dust Storm Warning through 4:30 p.m. local time, with what forecasters called a "dust channel" about 15 miles west-southwest of Moses Lake, pushing northeast across I-90. As The News Tribune reported, the warning specifically targeted mile markers 152 to 173, the mostly rural corridor between George and Moses Lake, and cautioned that visibility could drop to near zero in spots.
How To Drive If You Hit A Dust Storm
The National Weather Service urges drivers to follow its "Pull Aside, Stay Alive" guidance when a wall of dust suddenly wipes out visibility. Motorists are told to pull well off the roadway, turn off their lights, and take their foot off the brake so taillights do not lure other vehicles toward a stopped car. Full safety guidance for dust storms and sudden visibility loss is available on the National Weather Service website.
Past Storms Have Shut Down I-90
The Columbia Basin has seen this movie before. Sudden dust storms have closed sections of I-90 and triggered multi-vehicle pileups in past years, including a 2009 event that left drivers injured and led to lengthy freeway closures, according to reporting by The Spokesman-Review. Those earlier crashes are a pointed reminder of how quickly blowing dust can turn an ordinary drive into a serious hazard.
Before heading onto I-90, travelers are urged to check the Washington State Department of Transportation's real-time travel map and the latest National Weather Service updates. WSDOT's live map provides current closures, incidents, and delay information. If you are already on the road and the dust suddenly drops visibility, officials say the safest move is to pull off carefully and stay put until conditions improve.
