Texas

Here’s why your car looks disgusting today

March 5, 2023
TSPAN Publisher

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Severe thunderstorms on Thursday resulted in isolated wind damage, scattered power outages and a lot of dirty cars. Why?

That’s not pollen sticking to your vehicle, that’s dust!

The cold front responsible for Thursday’s storms also brought a significant west wind that blew dust across Texas on Thursday. Wind gusts ranged from 50-80 mph, easily strong enough to transport a lot of dust across much of the state.

This specific satellite view (below) highlights dust in the atmosphere. You can see the significant layer of dust coming with and behind the storms at 5 p.m. Thursday.

Dust Satellite View at 5 p.m. Thursday (Image: Colorado State University)

Blowing dust advisories were in place for parts of West Texas as a result of limited visibility caused by the dust blowing through.

That dust made it to Central Texas with and behind the squall line of thunderstorms that moved through the area.

The rain and dust likely combined in two different ways to make your car look so dirty.

The rain served as a transportation mechanism to bring any elevated dust down to the ground and onto your car as storms arrived, and the rain also wet your car and made it very easy for the dust that followed the squall line to stick to it.

Car covered in dust after severe storms Thursday

The result? You’re probably planning your next trip to the car wash to get rid of it. With several dry days ahead, that car wash isn’t a bad idea anyway!

 

by: Nick Bannin

Posted: Mar 3, 2023 / 11:37 AM CST

Updated: Mar 3, 2023 / 01:41 PM CST

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Severe thunderstorms on Thursday resulted in isolated wind damage, scattered power outages and a lot of dirty cars. Why?

That’s not pollen sticking to your vehicle, that’s dust!

The cold front responsible for Thursday’s storms also brought a significant west wind that blew dust across Texas on Thursday. Wind gusts ranged from 50-80 mph, easily strong enough to transport a lot of dust across much of the state.

This specific satellite view (below) highlights dust in the atmosphere. You can see the significant layer of dust coming with and behind the storms at 5 p.m. Thursday.

Dust Satellite View at 5 p.m. Thursday (Image: Colorado State University)

Blowing dust advisories were in place for parts of West Texas as a result of limited visibility caused by the dust blowing through.

That dust made it to Central Texas with and behind the squall line of thunderstorms that moved through the area.

The rain and dust likely combined in two different ways to make your car look so dirty.

The rain served as a transportation mechanism to bring any elevated dust down to the ground and onto your car as storms arrived, and the rain also wet your car and made it very easy for the dust that followed the squall line to stick to it.

Car covered in dust after severe storms Thursday

The result? You’re probably planning your next trip to the car wash to get rid of it. With several dry days ahead, that car wash isn’t a bad idea anyway!

Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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