Combined use of climate and satellite image data to predict the timing and origin of dust bowl storms in the plains states, USA

After a prolonged drought period, large dust storms developed over parts of Southern Plains of the United States in March of 2014. In this study, precipitation records from weather stations that date to the 1930s were analyzed to determine the moisture conditions that have preceded the largest documented dust storms in modern times for southeastern Colorado, western Kansas, and the panhandles of Oklahoma and Texas. Imagery from two different NASA satellite sensors were combined to determine the most probable locations of origin for dust storms and the condition of the agricultural landscapes 2–3 months prior to the dust storm events of spring 2014. Results showed that the long-term weather station records, together with mid-winter satellite image analysis of bare soil area in key counties of the Southern Plains states, offer the information needed to predict with high confidence if and where dust clouds will form in the spring.