This photograph was taken during the famous black blizzard in 1935 that gave the Dust Bowl its name. The website of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports that during the 1930s the settlers of the Great Plains were already suffering from dust storms:

"They were known as dirt storms, sand storms, black blizzards, and 'dusters.' It seemed as if it could get no worse, but on Sunday, the 14th of April 1935, it got worse. The day is known in history as 'Black Sunday,' when a mountain of blackness swept across the High Plains and instantly turned a warm, sunny afternoon into a horrible blackness that was darker than the darkest night. Famous songs were written about it, and on the following day, the world would hear the region referred to for the first time as 'The Dust Bowl.'"

From Discover Magazine