sandstorm US Haboob
Haboob sandstorm in northern US plains area, May 2002
Parts of the Northern Plains experienced a rare weather phenomenon on Thursday evening called a "haboob."

A haboob is a dust storm commonly seen in deserts, though one was spotted sweeping across parts of Iowa, South Dakota, and Minnesota.

While the Northern Plains doesn't have deserts, there's been plenty of dust following a megadrought that has consumed parts of the Central US.
drought US west 2022
The National Weather Service tweeted footage of a fast-moving haboob traversing Sioux Falls, South Dakota, transforming the day instantly into the night.


Twitter users in Sioux Falls captured insane footage of the dust storm.




The haboob was also spotted in Little Rock, Iowa. A local news team was trapped in their vehicle with zero visibility as the dust rolled through.


A weather satellite picked up the haboob sweeping across Nebraska.


The weather event on Thursday in parts of the Northern Plains is super rare and appears similar to dust storms during the 'Dust Bowl' era of the 1930s. Farmers in the region are battling either arid conditions or soggy fields, suggesting crop production could be underwhelming this growing season, adding to food inflation pressures for grains.