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Eastern Washington Braces For Dust Storms, Wildfire Warnings

File photo. A dust storm in 2015 near Ritzville, Washington, closed Highway 395 and Interstate 90.
WSDOT
File photo. A dust storm in 2015 near Ritzville, Washington, closed Highway 395 and Interstate 90.

Washington state officials say people in Eastern Washington need to hunker down for a likely dust storm and possible wildfire conditions Tuesday night.

Data from the National Weather Service indicates the region is experiencing all the conditions for a dust storm: low humidity, high temperatures and wind.  

“Cover your nose and mouth if possible,” said Camille St. Onge of Washington Ecology on Twitter. “If visibility is poor, try not to drive; just pull over if you’re already driving and you approach it. Stay indoors and avoid hard exercise.”

A dust storm in 2015 closed Highway 395 and Interstate 90 in Washington and caused a 50-car pileup on I-90.

The Washington Department of Natural Resources also said the dry weather could “challenge initial attack operations on new fires that occur across eastern Washington.”

DNR has increased the fire danger rating in Okanogan, Lincoln, Spokane and parts of Stevens counties. Those counties are also under burn restrictions.

Copyright 2017 Northwest News Network

Emily Schwing started stuffing envelopes for KUER FM90 in Salt Lake City, and something that was meant to be a volunteer position turned into a multi-year summer internship. After developing her own show for Carleton Collegeââââ
Emily Schwing
Emily Schwing comes to the Inland Northwest by way of Alaska, where she covered social and environmental issues with an Arctic spin as well as natural resource development, wildlife management and Alaska Native issues for nearly a decade. Her work has been heard on National Public Radio’s programs like “Morning Edition” and “All things Considered.” She has also filed for Public Radio International’s “The World,” American Public Media’s “Marketplace,” and various programs produced by the BBC and the CBC. She has also filed stories for Scientific American, Al Jazeera America and Arctic Deeply.
Anna King
Anna King calls Richland, Washington home and loves unearthing great stories about people in the Northwest. She reports for the Northwest News Network from a studio at Washington State University, Tri-Cities. She covers the Mid-Columbia region, from nuclear reactors to Mexican rodeos.