Dust Storms--

[Max Wedge]

Hey region 2 folks-
I was in your lovely region last week, and ran up I10   and returned via I25 form AZ. Crosswinds were fierce! My question: Is this a seasonal thing, or do you get those things all year round?
Thanks,
A regionally un-informed poster

[Kneescrubber]

Your post is kinda vague about exactly where you were. In our region, I-10 runs from Orange,TX to Blythe,CA and I-25 runs from El Paso,TX to Raton,NM. Then you throw in AZ. That's a big area.  

Yes, last week we did see some wind speeds approaching 60+ mph. That is not unusual for this area, especially at this time of year. We experience downsloping winds most of the year which really sends the temps soaring in the summer; and really sucks in the winter. Amarillo ranks #5 with the highest average wind speed. It is very unusual for the air to be "still" here. I moved here 2 years ago and commented to my gf (a born and raised Amarillodan) about the wind always blowing 10-20 mph and sometimes gusting to 30 mph. She laughed and called that a breeze.  

[Max Wedge]

I went form El Paso to Sedona, then back.

[satxbonneville]

I moved here 2 years ago and commented to my gf (a born and raised Amarillodan) about the wind always blowing 10-20 mph and sometimes gusting to 30 mph. She laughed and called that a breeze.  

I spent my time in the employ of Uncle at Cannon AFB in Clovis, NM. I recall taking a buddy to the airport in Amarillo and being passed on the road by a wind-blown tumbleweed.

That damn red dirt got in everything.

One of my fellow sufferers wrote a little ditty that included this lyric:

...it never rains, it never snows, the fucking wind just blows and blows...

[scarecrow]

I have been passed by tumbleweeds in the Texas panhandle.

[rider1a]

They call me the breeze....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsIqEq9OFxE

[gillus]

The wind is a normal weather pattern from mid March thru early May in the southwest, NM and TX. The jet stream dips down across northern NM and if a storm/low pressure happens to catch a ride it gets windy here, rains and snows in CO and then gets active in tornado alley a day or two later.

This year is worse than normal because of the LaNina and NM and TX are drier than a popcorn fart in a china closet and extra windy/dusty and warm. Wet and cool in the Pacific Northwest.

If your timing is good there are many very nice days to ride here. Most windy days are worse in the afternoons.

Hopefully you didn't ride downwind of the White Sands Monument on a really windy day.

[stealth1]

My daughter in Las Cruces said yesterday that they may have to close interstates this week because of dust storms.
Her husband is with the NM state police.

[JonS]

Here, in the 4 corners area, Spring is the time for wind storms. It has finally died down, but April was pretty bad.

[axelwik]

Sometimes I think kite-flying would be more fun than riding here (only sometimes).  

[jay547]

i took this pic last week in the oklahoma panhandle.

[Max Wedge]

Looks dry, anyway. Not the story here.

[Mac]

You haven't seen a dust storm till you can't see the sun at noontime.