On Tuesday, April 4th, Amarillo and the entire Texas Panhandle saw a giant dust storm.

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This dust storm had turned the skies a shade of brown and in some cases, it was a brown out.   For those traveling I-27 it proved to be a dangerous feat because all drivers could see was dust.

The dust and winds were so bad, wildfires ignited across the Panhandle Plains.  

It seems as if we are seeing more dust storms in the area than we have seen in a long time.  In fact, in the last 3 months, we have seen 3 big dust storms.   However, dust storms in the Texas Panhandle are nothing new.  It's possible they are cyclical.

Are we seeing another dust bowl?

Amarillo and the Texas Panhandle saw a ton of storms back in the early to mid-30s.  This was the time of the Dust Bowl which lasted about a decade because of the severe drought and bad farming techniques.   We have seen drought in the last few years, but I'm pretty sure farming techniques are far more advanced these days.

Where is the dust coming from?

Maybe it's the lack of farming?  Maybe from all the construction sites around the area?  Who knows, but it blew in and it blew in hard.

Whatever the wind blew all over the Texas Panhandle, it was unpleasant.  I'm sure the dusting products will be flying off store shelves.  The dust is everywhere.

Dust Storms in the Texas Panhandle Then and Now

The Texas Panhandle has seen its share of dust storms. Here are pictures of when it was at its worst in the 30s and our dust storm on April 4, 2023.

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