Strong winds trigger first alert, blowing dust threatens Yuma County travel

Chief forecaster Melissa Zaremba issued a Weather Authority First Alert Action Day as strong westerly winds pushed through Yuma County and the Desert Southwest, bringing the first real travel headache of the weekend. In Yuma County, gusts were expected to reach 30 mph through early Monday, while the Imperial Valley faced even stronger wind.

The National Weather Service forecast for Yuma called for west-northwest winds Sunday night with gusts as high as 30 mph. Monday was expected to stay breezy, with a high near 83 degrees, keeping the region cooler but still unsettled. In the broader Southwest, the same weather system was producing windy conditions across desert highways and open country, where crosswinds were a concern for motorists.

That meant a rougher night for drivers on Interstate 8 and Interstate 10, especially where stretches of road run exposed across open desert. High-profile vehicles faced the highest risk from sudden gusts and side winds, and blowing dust could briefly drop visibility to well under a mile in the worst areas. Even when dust stayed patchy, it could still make lane changes and passing trucks more difficult.

The National Weather Service says a Dust Storm Warning is issued when visibility falls to one-half mile or less and winds reach 30 mph or more. That threshold matters in Yuma County because late-spring systems often kick up loose soil fast, turning an otherwise manageable wind event into a quick visibility problem for commuters, truckers and anyone headed home after dark.

Conditions were expected to be tougher still in Imperial County, where gusts could reach 45 mph and climb to 55 mph in wind-prone spots such as Ocotillo. For Yuma County, the bigger immediate concerns were blowing dust, crosswinds on major highways and loose outdoor items that could be tossed around porches, patios and job sites before the winds eased early Monday.