Where I live in the Mojave Desert there is, as you might imagine, a lot of dust. We get this fun weather phenomenon called Dust Devils. According to Princeton.edu, dust devils are a strong, well-formed, and relatively long-lived whirlwind, ranging from small (half a meter wide and a few meters tall) to large (more than 10 meters wide and more than 1000 meters tall). The primary vertical motion is upward. Dust devils are usually harmless, but can on rare occasions grow large enough to pose a threat to both people and property.
I understand they are comparable to tornadoes since both are a weather phenomenon consisting of a vertically oriented rotating column of air. Tornadoes are associated with a larger parent circulation but dust devils form all on their own as a swirling updraft under sunny conditions during fair weather, rarely coming close to the intensity of a tornado.
Since I live in the desert I often see these dust devils after they pick up soil, small debris such as papers or tumbleweed or the occasional chihuahua which are then swirling about in them.
Most people think dust devils happen only in the summertime. I can tell you for certain it does not matter if it is summer or winter. Dust devils are caused by differentials in temperature between the air at different altitudes, not necessarily triggered by a high baseline temperature at ground level. There can be significant temperature differentials even in the springtime or the fall. We generally tend to see them more in the summer as the soil will often be dry unless we have recently had a summertime rain.
According to WeatherQuestions.com, “The heated land surface produces convective rolls of air since the wind is a little stronger at 100 feet in altitude than near the ground. If these rolls get tilted upright, then a dust devil can form.”
Since dust devils are relatively harmless I like to stop and watch them when I can. They always bring a smile to my face.
So what do dust devils and Paris Hilton have in common? I am not quite sure. There has got to be a joke in there about hot air or something. Maybe a comedian or joke writer reading this can help up out. 😉
Have you ever seen a dust devil? Have you ever seen a Paris Hilton movie? Share your thoughts in the comments. Would love to hear from you.
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