The wikipedia page mentions it - the prevailing winds are west-to-east across much of the US and Canada due to the jet stream. In the winter the jet stream also moves further south. It mentions some of what must have been epic multi-day dust storms that started in South Dakota and reached Chicago one day and the east coast the next. New England had red snowfall from the residual dust in the air.

I was surprised recently when I was watching an Iowa corn farmer on youtube who is the new generation taking over the farm and trying to change things for the better by doing "new" things such as no till farming. I remember reading about no-till as a kid back in the 80s and there are still people who are just now getting the memo and trying it. I loved farming but didn't take over the family farm because my dad was reticent to trying new things, and chose computer programming instead.