The Spatial and Temporal Impact of the February 26, 2023, Dust Storm on the Meteorological Conditions and Particulate Matter Concentrations Across New Mexico and West Texas

The Southwestern portions of the United States experience dust events frequently due to the arid and semi-arid environments and close proximity to multiple deserts. On February 26, 2023, a dust event was initiated in New Mexico due to strong winds aloft mixing down to the surface. The dust intensified as it moved eastward into West Texas, and turned into a dust storm (visibility < 1 km) in multiple locations. This study examined the meteorological characteristics of this dust storm using 21 meteorological stations and examines the impacts on PM _2.5 and/or PM ₁₀ (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter < 10 and 2.5 µm) concentrations using 19 air quality stations. The dust event lasted up to 18 hours, and locations experienced dust storm conditions from five minutes up to 65 minutes, with even zero visibility. The highest wind speed and wind gust recorded during the dust were 27.3 m s ^-1 and 37 m s ^-1 respectively. This dust had a strong impact on the air quality in the area, as very high PM values were recorded across the region, and nine of the PM stations exceeded the EPA daily threshold. The maximum hourly PM _2.5 and PM ₁₀ concentrations recorded were 518.4 µg m ^-3 and 9,983 µg m ^-3 respectively. For some locations (e.g., Lubbock Texas), these high PM _2.5 concentrations were the highest ever recorded, highlighting the significance of this dust storm.