WILLISTON, North Dakota — Drivers on western North Dakota highways had no warning before the sky turned brown and the road disappeared in front of them Thursday afternoon.
A powerful dust storm swept through the region, creating blizzard-like conditions that reduced visibility to near zero and caught dozens of motorists completely off guard.
Video released by the North Dakota Highway Patrol showed a thick wall of dust swallowing the highway whole — the kind of footage that is hard to believe is real until you realize it happened just hours ago.
Crashes Reported Across Multiple Highways
The danger was not just in the visuals. It was on the road.
Troopers responded to a crash involving tanker trailers on Highway 85 in Williams County at around 1:30 p.m. local time. Authorities confirmed the driver survived — and said a seatbelt made the difference.
On Highway 83 south of Minot, a pickup towing a trailer rolled over during the storm.
Similar whiteout-like conditions were also reported on Highway 28 north of Berthold and Highway 40 south of Tioga — painting a picture of just how wide and fast this storm moved.
Winds Hit Up to 70 mph
A High Wind Warning was already in place, with gusts forecast between 40 and 70 mph.
But conditions deteriorated so quickly that a Blowing Dust Advisory was upgraded to a full Blowing Dust Warning just after 2 p.m.
The storm was fueled by a low-pressure system moving in from Canada, which pushed strong wind gusts across the Northern Plains throughout the day. The same system also triggered a Fire Weather Warning across the region.
Friday Is Not in the Clear Either
The storm may have passed, but the danger has not fully gone away.
A Blowing Dust Advisory remains in effect for North Dakota into Friday. Law enforcement is urging drivers — especially those behind the wheel of high-profile vehicles like RVs, semi-trucks, and trailers — to avoid traveling during peak wind hours.
Dust storms of this intensity can develop with little warning and turn a clear stretch of highway into a zero-visibility death trap within seconds.
What Drivers Should Know
If you are caught in a dust storm while driving, authorities recommend pulling completely off the road, turning off your lights so other drivers do not follow you thinking you are in a travel lane, and staying buckled until conditions improve.
Do not stop in a travel lane. Do not assume slowing down is enough. Get off the road entirely.
Have you driven through a dust storm or seen the video from Thursday’s chaos in North Dakota? Share what you saw in the comments — local eyes on the ground help keep everyone informed.
