A snirt storm is a blizzard on the Great Plains of North America. The
snow is actually made up a of combination of snowflakes and
dirt particles. Because the wind is so strong in flat areas like plains, it pulls topsoil right up into the
air. If you walked outdoors during a snirt storm you would feel constant stings of sand-sized particles sandblasting your face. When
people get back indoors, they have a very distinctive appearance, because the dirt accumulates around their eyes, making them look like raccoons.
Everyone scurried indoors to escape the snirt
storm, but not before their eyes had become encrusted in
black dirt, making them look like raccoons.