Saharan Dust Is Closing In: What It Means for You

The Saharan dust cloud is heading to the U.S. in the days ahead. What does this massive dust cloud mean for the U.S. as it reaches its peak volume? Read on for everything that you need to know.

Origins and Specifics of the Saharan Dust Layer

A large plume of dust originating in the Sahara Desert in Africa is making its way across the tropical North Atlantic and toward the U.S. The dust cloud comes with a host of impacts, including the suppression of tropical weather in the Atlantic basin and the deterioration of air quality for those in its path.

The Saharan dust cloud first comes to life when the temperatures spike across the desert terrain of Africa. The intense daytime heating that naturally occurs in the Sahara this time of the year sends dust particles aloft. Disturbances such as cold fronts move over the terrain, sending the particles to the west across the continent and toward the Atlantic Ocean.

Once the plume of dust ejects off the coast of Africa, it travels over the cooler and moisture-rich layer of air that forms a temperature inversion. This inversion allows the dust layer to stay intact as it pushes to the west across the waters of the Atlantic.

Depending on the strength of the upper-level winds at the time, the dust clouds can travel fully intact as far as Central America, Florida, the Gulf Coast, and Texas. In extreme situations, the dust cloud can cover an area as big as the Lower 48.

Climatologists typically notice the beginning of the dust plume formation in the middle of June. The dust cloud peaks between the end of June and the middle of August. During this peak time period, you can expect new waves of dust to move off the coast of Africa at a rate of about every three to five days.

Florida experienced its first major dust cloud of the season on June 27. The plume traveled farther west, arriving in Texas on June 29 before taking a turn to the north. Forecasters are warning that more frequent and more intense dust invasions are on the horizon in the coming weeks. Other than a bit of hazy conditions, this first dust cloud of the season was relatively minor.

Meteorologists track the Saharan dust particles through the use of satellites. The satellites use a bevy of visible, infrared, and water vapor channels to track the associated temperatures and wind speeds within the plume. This data allows forecasters to monitor the path of the dust outbreak and how it may impact the weather in the U.S. and beyond.