Air Quality Concerns Elevated as Smoke and Dust Invade the U.S.

Forecasters are warning that a mass of dust coming over the Atlantic Ocean from Africa could merge with the wildfire smoke coming from the north in Canada to create dangerous air quality conditions for a large part of the U.S. Here is a closer look at this developing situation.

Dust Plume and Wildfire Smoke Create Perfect Storm

Meteorologists have been monitoring a dust plume that originated in the Sahara Desert in Africa and is moving to the west across the Atlantic. This mass of dust is expected to reach the southeastern corner of the U.S. in the days ahead. While the dust will likely create colorful sunrises and sunsets over much of the South, it may also trigger unhealthy air quality levels.

The dust from Africa is not the only thing bringing down air quality in the U.S. Over 100 wildfires are still burning in Canada, stretching from British Columbia to Ontario. The worst of the fires have focused on Manitoba and Saskatchewan, forcing the evacuations of thousands of people over the last week.

The smoke from the Canadian wildfires has been moving over the border and into the U.S. in the last few days. The mass of smoke had doubled in size over the weekend, expanding over 1.2 million square miles across the neighbor to the north. The smoky conditions have also spread over approximately 750,000 square miles in the U.S.

Health officials have been warning those in the impacted area to take the necessary precautions when going outside. Wildfire smoke is full of dangerous pollutants known as PM2.5, capable of entering the lungs and bloodstream. These tiny particles can then trigger breathing difficulties and inflammation. Those with underlying health conditions are particularly vulnerable to the pollutants carried by the smoke.

Experts detail that the smoke is the most hazardous when it travels closer to the ground. The Upper Midwest was experiencing the worst of the air quality conditions on Tuesday. For instance, Minneapolis woke up to "very unhealthy" air quality levels, the second-worst designation as defined by AirNow.gov. For a short time on Tuesday, the Twin Cities were distinguished as having the second-worst air quality in the world, coming in behind Kuwait City in the Middle East.

In other areas of the U.S., the smoke is circulating at higher levels in the atmosphere. Although this is not as dangerous to air quality levels, it still presents a hazy sky and blocks out the sun.

The smoke will continue to be visible for millions of Americans in the eastern half of the country. The hazy conditions dipped as far south as parts of Florida and Georgia on Tuesday and as far to the east as Upstate New York.

The long-range forecast models indicate that the smoke and haze will persist on Wednesday throughout portions of the Midwest, the East, and the South. A secondary influx of thicker smoke could sneak into north-central portions of the U.S. as a cold front arriving from the West carries it along.

The U.S. should expect the smoke from the Canadian wildfires to impact the country through at least the end of the week. However, it is difficult to forecast who will see the worst of the conditions more than a few days in advance due to the many moving parts that can impact where the smoke will travel.

Sahara Dust Headed to the U.S.

The double whammy of poor air quality will come as the dust cloud from the Sahara Desert arrives in the U.S. beginning Wednesday. The plume of dust is predicted to hit Florida early in the day on Wednesday before expanding to the Southeast on Thursday. The plume is already visible on images taken from space, giving forecasters confidence that the U.S will see its impacts in the days ahead.

Areas that see the overlap of the smoke and the dust will experience the worst air quality conditions. Similar to wildfire smoke, dust plumes are also made with particulate matter that can be dangerous to your health.

Although the Saharan dust clouds get their start in the famous desert by the same name, high winds send the dusty air to the west and out across the Atlantic Ocean. This movement is most prominent in the late spring and through the early fall months.

The Sahara dust clouds are closely monitored during summer months due to their disruptive powers when aimed at tropical systems. The dry and dusty air works to break apart developing tropical weather events. In that same manner, the dust mass headed toward the U.S. could break apart the stormy weather forming over the southeastern U.S. this week.

Forecasters will be watching the size of the plume as it circulates through the atmosphere to determine what type of impacts it will deliver to the U.S. While this plume is noticeably thicker than what tracked into the U.S. in May, it is expected to thin out as it moves closer to the mainland.

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