Incredible satellite images show a wall of dust being blown across Texas as a cold front pushed through the US on Monday (March 16).
What is it?
The recording was taken off GOES-19 weather satellite operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It shows a line of dust being driven south, far below clouds much higher in the atmosphere blowing from west to east.
The dust wall was blown over West Texas by a cold front that brought extreme winter weather to large parts of the USA from 14 to 16 March. The storm, known as Winter Storm Iona, brought record snowfall to the Midwest and damaging winds and tornadoes throughout the southern United States
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Spectacular images of a wall of dust racing south through West Texas along a cold front yesterday. pic.twitter.com/4mjJlzckC0March 16, 2026
The dust storm created travel complications and other issues for Texans. At least one a multi-vehicle pile-up was reported because of the blinding dust that sweeps over the state.
Why is it amazing?
It is rare to see such a pronounced line of dust visible from space. Colorado State University’s Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA) described the images as “spectacular” in a post on X.
Views of Earth like this are only made possible by NOAA’s fleet of next-generation satellites. GOES 19 launched in June 2024 carry what NOAA describes as “the most sophisticated technology ever flown in space to help forecast weather on Earth.” The satellite has even caught on pictures of solar eclipsesthanks to special solar instruments on board the spacecraft.
