what is a haboob dust storm
Your eyes are not deceiving you. A haboob is an actual meteorological phenomena that occurs during the monsoon season across the southwestern United States. Haboobs are characterized by a wall of blowing dust and dirt that typically form from the outflow of a strong shower or thunderstorm. Similar to a dust storm, haboobs can cause a rapid drop in visibility down to near 0 miles in a matter of a few minutes or even less. The word Haboob originated in Sudan where intense dust storms occur over the Saharan Dessert and other arid regions nearby and are more common than in any other part of the world. Haboobs can grow to be up to around 10,000 feet high as they propagate from a thunderstorm and typically only last about 10-30 minutes.