Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
DESERET — This is the time of year when dust devils come out of their lairs and begin twisting their way across the terrain. And Utah is the perfect place for them to roam free.
Let's take a look at a couple of recent dust devils that visited the Beehive State. First up, is this remarkably tidy little twister filmed in Centerfield.
"One of the largest dust devils I've seen in rural Utah, filmed from the road next to the dirt field it's in," explains the caption. "It stretched super high, left a shadow on the ground and looks like a small tornado, only made out of dirt on a sunny day."
While the dust devil in the video was fairly contained and did no harm — other than possibly scaring some lizards — there are other times that the teeny twisters can bring a healthy dose of drama.
Exhibit A is this video from a Utah elementary school:
"It was chaos. The dust pelted us like sandpaper," the school volunteer who filmed the twister wrote. "Teachers ushered the kids into the school. A popup shade was trashed, and a bounce house nearly lifted off the ground."
So there you have it. Dust devils are alive and well here in Utah, so you need to keep your head on a swivel. They might be fascinating to look at, but a big one can ruin your field day.
Have You Seen This?
