Midwest Dust Whirlwind

On one our road trips while in Kansas the girls saw their first Midwest Dust Whirlwind.  Some people also called them Dust Devils.  In the past few years Kansas has been pretty dry so sometimes when a farmer is working his field or something else is stirring up a large amount of dust you’ll see a dust whirlwind pop up.

When the girls first saw it they thought it was a tornado.  It does look like a tornado touching down, but usually happens on a dry sunny day.  We were driving along Highway 34 West near Platner, Colorado when we saw this dust whirlwind.   Hopefully, the Midwest will start getting some nice rain soon so these dust devils will not be as common.  The Midwest is a large producer of crops for our nation and around the world.  We have a lot of farmers in our family from the Midwest who could use more rain for their crops.

A dust whirlwind (or commonly referred to as a dust devil) is caused when a vortex forms from the dust that is being kicked up into the air.  The dust will often form a swirling column that reaches up vertically through the air.  The dust devils could last for several hours and can either be small or large enough for people to see for many miles.  They are typically harmless other than you can get dirt in your eyes and hit by small particles of dirt if you walk or drive through one.

 Dust Devil off Highway 34 West!  Looks like a tornado, but it is made of dirt.

 The farmer working his field is kicking up enough dirt to create this Dust Whirlwind that can be seen for miles.

 It was amazing to watch the swirling column of dirt raising high up into the sky.

The “Travel and Vacation” series is an insight into our trips together as a family, ways we relax, and tips on how to make trips more enjoyable.  Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away.  Explore with a good attitude, look for fun, and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories.  It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine.  Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn.  You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!