Hot Shots: Blizzard, Dust Storm, Wildfire

Every Friday, FreightWaves takes a look at the past week or so in social media, highlighting images in trucking, transportation and weather. This week features a blizzard in the Sierra Nevada, a dust storm across the Plains and an Oklahoma late-season wildfire.

Sierra snow

A series of storms has slammed the Sierra Nevada this week, dumping more than 6 feet of snow in some spots, according to the National Weather Service. Not unusual for this region in December, but it creates trouble for truckers, nonetheless.

Related: Chaining up: 4 pro tips for truckersPeriodic road closures ensued as the snow piled up and high winds led to blowing snow and occasional whiteout conditions. The most recent storm faded Thursday, with another possible next week.

Dust in the wind

As snow fell and drifted in the Mountain West, powerful winds developed across the Plains midweek. Gusts peaked at 107 mph in Lamar, Colorado, and nearly hit 100 mph in parts of Nebraska. Images of dust storms and reduced visibility popped up in many places on social media.

The strong winds were so persistent in Vaught, New Mexico, that tumbleweeds blocked a Union Pacific Railroad (NYSE: UNP) tunnel, as seen in a company tweet.

Fanning the flames

As the high winds swept across the Plains, they hit the drought-stricken Oklahoma Panhandle. Brush fires in the region spread quickly out of control, burning thousands of acres, according to fire officials. One of the fires was in Guymon, where NWS records showed a peak gust of 77 mph Wednesday. The winds not only fanned flames, but emergency management officials said they destroyed a hangar at Guymon Municipal Airport (ICAO: GUY).

The high winds also forced officials to shut down highways in the Oklahoma Panhandle, including major roads in Guymon and Boise City. By Thursday morning the Guymon fire was under control, according to the local fire department. Authorities lifted evacuations and businesses returned to normal. They did not report any injuries.

Beauty shot

This week's beauty shot features a rainbow above trucks on Interstate 70 in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, along the Front Range of the Rockies.

Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Nick Austin.

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