AUSTIN, Texas — Air quality in Texas has recently been affected by smoke, but we could be tracking a different kind of air pollutant this week.
Saharan dust is currently moving across the Atlantic Ocean, headed toward Texas.
This occurrence isn't out of the ordinary. Each year, we monitor plumes of Saharan dusts moving toward the U.S. It travels all the way across the Atlantic Ocean for the west coast of Africa. Storms in Africa create strong winds, which help blow the dust into the air. The trade winds then carry this dust across the ocean to the U.S.
What does this mean for Texans? The most noticeable thing would be the haziness caused from dust suspended in the air. We could also see negative impacts to our air quality, so those with chronic lung conditions might want to consider limiting time outdoors.
We already had a light plume of Saharan dust arrive earlier in the season, but this next plume could impact portions of East and Central Texas for the end of the workweek and weekend.
Dust in the air actually has some pros to our weather pattern. Most importantly, the dust lowers moisture in the air over the tropics, which is a crucial ingredient for the formation of tropical systems. Therefore, we typically see a lull in activity throughout the tropics while the plumes of dust are moving through.
Another interesting effect of dust in the atmosphere is more intense sunrises and sunsets. If you snap any great pictures, make sure to send them our way!
It's important to note that dust lingering in the air will be dependent on our rain chances in Central Texas. Any rainfall could wash the dust out of the air and improve our air quality. Unfortunately, our forecast remains dry in Central Texas throughout the week and weekend.
We'll continue to monitor the forecast and air quality closely over the coming days and provide details on air and online.
In the meantime, here is a look at your extended forecast:
