Dust warning down south

Photo: Twitter - @colleen_whitman

Smoke and dust in the air in Spokane, Wash. on Aug. 29.

Southern British Columbia is not the only area getting hit with heavy winds today; parts of Washington State have been hit just as hard, if not harder.  

The National Weather Service in Spokane, Wash. issued a dust storm warning Saturday morning, which will stay in effect until 5 p.m. Saturday.

The warning is due to the heavy winds in the area, with gusts up to 85 km/h, whipping up dust into the air and causing unsafe driving conditions.

The warning also says the winds may cause tree damage and power outages, and may reduce visibility to 400 metres at times.

“Isolated visibility to near zero will be possible,” the warning states.

The high winds have also prompted a "Red Flag Warning" in much of northeastern Washington, which precautions against rapid fire growth.

"Very windy conditions and low relative humidities will result in rapid growth of existing fires or any new ignitions," the warning states.

The winds are expected to peak by the early afternoon.