AUSTIN, Texas — It's not uncommon this time of the year for Saharan dust to make the long journey across the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico to end up right here in Central Texas. In fact, we've already seen several plumes of dust throughout this summer.
Wednesday and Thursday will bring our most significant Saharan dust plume so far. This dust will be enough to bring a very hazy sky and also enough to reduce air quality for parts of Central Texas.
The worst of the dust will be on Wednesday, with a very high concentration for the KVUE area. Even into Thursday, we are likely dealing with high concentrations of Saharan dust, but then, eventually, the sky will clear up and air quality will improve for Friday into this weekend.
Saharan dust does not always reduce our air quality, but the most substantial plumes of dust can.
We expect air quality in the "unhealthy for sensitive groups" category on Wednesday, and this could continue into parts of Thursday before improving late week. If you have a chronic lung condition or other sensitive respiratory issues, it is probably a good idea to limit your outdoor exposure.
Outside of the reduced air quality, be on the lookout for very vivid sunrises and sunsets as a result of the Saharan dust.
The KVUE Weather Team will continue to closely monitor this developing forecast.
In the meantime, the extended forecast can be found below:
