Saharan dust has returned to North Texas for a second act.
After a plume of Saharan dust moved through Dallas-Fort Worth and much of the southeastern U.S. last week, another less dense dust plume is expected to push through the area this week, according to the National Weather Service.
“We’re still seeing some lingering dust,” weather service meteorologist Sarah Barnes said.
North Texas can consider itself lucky because the dust appeared to be more prominent across Southeast Texas this week, Barnes said.
Humidity and air pollution were also contributing to this week’s hazy skies, she said.
Much of the Saharan dust has moved off the Southeast coast. However, another dust plume currently over the Caribbean will reach the Gulf Coast later this week. This dust plume is not as dense as the Saharan air layer that was over parts of the Southeast the last few days. pic.twitter.com/xtBAxeqMPp
— NWS Eastern Region (@NWSEastern) June 29, 2020
Air quality across the majority of Texas, including Dallas-Fort Worth, was in the “moderate” range, according to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. When air quality is in that range, there is the possibility of a slight risk to those who are sensitive to air pollution, such as children, older adults and people with respiratory issues.
“Moderate amounts of African dust will continue at various intensities across most of the state with the exception of Far West Texas and the Upper Panhandle,” the commission said in an air quality forecast for Friday.
Air quality is forecast to remain in the moderate range through the weekend, according to the commission.
Today's #AirQuality Forecast: https://t.co/VFBu1RrWF9 pic.twitter.com/LSHqNs5nMm
— Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (@TCEQ) July 2, 2020
By the middle of next week, the Saharan dust is expected to clear out of North Texas, Barnes said.
It’s not uncommon for Saharan dust to reach North Texas, and it’s also not unusual for it to come in multiple rounds.
The last time North Texas saw a Saharan dust plume was in July 2018. That summer, North Texas experienced two rounds of Saharan dust in a two-week span.
The dust plume is a mass of dry air, known as the Saharan Air Layer, that forms every year over the Sahara Desert and moves toward the Atlantic, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The plume can be 2 to 2.5 miles thick and is about 5,000 feet off the ground, according to NOAA.
