Dust storms in Colorado are no joke and recent footage captured by Carl Winder of Colorado Springs’ KOAA shows just how crazy this weather phenomenon can get.

The wild clip was taken in the San Luis Valley near the town of Mosca, putting the extremely limited visibility that comes with a dust storm on full display.

As you watch the clip below, note when the oncoming pick-up truck becomes visible and how quickly it passes. During some of these storms, visibility can decrease to a quarter-mile or less, at times dropping off completely.

Winder notes that “the dunes at Great Sand Dunes National Park are going to get taller” – which is an interesting aspect of this dust storm video to note. The Great Sand Dunes exist where they do thanks to the massive mountains that wrap around the side of the dune field. As sand blows up from the valley – often in dust storms like this – the sand gets trapped on the slopes, later brought down by melting snow in the spring and deposited in the dunes. Dust storms like this are a big reason the dunes are able to exist and how they remain relatively unchanged for many years.

One great spot to watch for alerts regarding dust storms is the National Weather Service website. When dust storms take place, it tends to be on windy, dry days and in places where farmland exists – especially when that farmland has been recently plowed. The San Luis Valley is a common spot for these dust storms, as is the Eastern Plains region.

According to the National Weather Service, if dust is seen blowing across or approaching a roadway that you’re driving on, the best move is to pull off of the pavement as far as possible, stop, turn off vehicle lights, engage the emergency brake, and take your foot off the brake pedal.

If it’s unsafe to pull off the road, slow down and turn on vehicle lights, sounding your horn as you use the painted center line to help guide your driving.

Never stop on the portion of the road where vehicles are traveling.

It’s best to not travel during a dust storm and to avoid entering into a dust storm if possible.

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