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Fact check: Do El Paso dust storms start in spring?- El Paso Matters [1]

['Brandy Ruiz', 'More Brandy Ruiz', 'Diego Mendoza-Moyers', 'El Paso Matters']

Date: 2026-01-27  

No.

Dust storms in El Paso typically begin in February, according to a 2024 study by Texas Tech University’s Department of Geosciences that analyzed 21 years of dust events.

Dust storms, as defined by the National Weather Service, occur suddenly and often appear as an advancing wall of dust and debris. In 2026, spring officially begins March 20, according to the U.S. Naval Observatory’s Astronomical Applications Department.

On average, El Paso sees 22 dust events per year, according to the study. The number of dust storms increases between March and June.

In 2025, six dust storms occurred in El Paso between March and June, according to National Weather Service data.

Among West Texas cities examined in the study, El Paso had the third-highest average number of dust storm events, behind Lubbock (29) and Midland (26).

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

El Paso Matters partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our methodology to learn how we check claims.

Sources

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[1] Url: https://elpasomatters.org/2026/01/27/gigafact-fact-check-el-paso-weather-dust-storm-season/

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