Forecasters Coin Special Term For Thursday’s Dust Storm

(Little Rock) —  The dust was so thick in the air Thursday that it caused a temporary blackout.  National Weather Service meteorologist says that weather condition is called a “Haboob.”  Fifty years ago, scientists in Arizona began using the term to describe dust storms that swept through the Phoenix area.  It doesn’t happen often in the Corn Belt region because the area isn’t usually that dry – and, when it is, there are crops like corn and soybeans in the ground to hold the dirt.