<p>Particle entrainment in wind-blown sand flows critically influences landscape evolution and sediment transport in arid regions. This study examines the effects of airborne sand particles on near-wall friction velocity fluctuations using synchronized measurements from flush-mounted Irwin sensors and high-frequency hot-film sensors. Irwin sensors show no positive skewness due to limited temporal response, which suppresses short-duration, high-magnitude fluctuations. In contrast, hot-film sensors capture rapid friction velocity peaks, revealing pronounced positive skewness under sand-laden conditions. Impulse magnitudes approximately follow a log-normal distribution in sand-free flows but are substantially underestimated at high magnitudes in sand-laden flows, reflecting both particle–turbulence interactions that amplify short, intense impulses and the under-resolution of coarse sensors. These findings highlight the critical importance of resolving transient aerodynamic events for accurately determining threshold shear velocities and improving aeolian sediment transport models, with potential applications in sandstorm early-warning systems and desertification mitigation strategies.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>