Mystery Milky Rain Falls on Washington, Oregon
February 8th, 2015Via: USA Today:
Rainfall described as milky-colored, dusty or dirty fell across parts of Washington, Oregon and Idaho, with its origin is unclear.
The National Weather Service received reports of the dirty rain from more than 15 cities from Hermiston, Ore., to Rathdrum, Idaho, on Friday. The weather service’s Spokane office collected water samples that will be sent to a lab for testing.
The light gray dirt in the rainfall coated vehicles and windows across the region as a rainstorm that originated in the Pacific moved in.
“Dirty” rains fell at our office & across much of Spokane. We are looking into source of this phenomena. #wawxpic.twitter.com/akad4Am3M2
— NWS Spokane (@NWSSpokane) February 6, 2015
Experts said they are checking out several possible explanations including a recent volcanic eruption in Mexico and one in Russia. The weather service said the rainstorm may have passed through some dust or volcanic ash as it moved west.
