WATCH: Massive dust devil spins through SoCal desert

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. - A large dust devil was caught on camera spinning through the Southern California desert earlier this week. 

Nature photographer Sicco Rood captured the moment in Ocotillo Wells, an unincorporated community in San Diego County, about two hours east of San Diego this past Monday, August 8. The video captures the dust devil starting with the relatively early stages, as a storm rolls through. The gust quickly expands to fill the entire frame for several minutes, with the dust completely obscuring the horizon.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, dust devils form when the hot ground heats the air at ground level to temperatures higher than the air just above it. The temperature difference results in a difference in air density, pushing the hot air upward. 

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Dust devils are typically less severe than tornadoes, and don't last very long, according to NOAA. Dust devils are typically between 10-300 feet wide, and 500-1000 feet high, but in deserts like Southern California, dust devils can reach several thousand feet high and in some cases can last an hour or more. Wind speeds in larger dust devils can sometimes reach more than 60 miles per hour.

The winds can be so strong that they can pick up lighter objects, much like a tornado. Last year, an apparent dust devil in Virginia lifted a 70-pound Labrador.