Saharan dust has made another trip across the Atlantic, and Texans are seeing the effects of it this week, weather officials say.
The Saharan air layer is a body of dry, dusty air that forms over the Sahara desert in the late spring, summer and early fall, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Winds carry this mass thousands of miles across the Atlantic, and it occasionally reaches Texas.
This dust can have a number of effects, such as hazy skies and colorful sunrises and sunsets, but also reduced air quality. The dust can be particularly unhealthy for children, older adults and people with heart or lung issues.
As of Monday morning, the dust is most concentrated in the Brownsville region, but much of the Texas coast is seeing an increase in the Saharan air layer, said Monte Oaks, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in New Braunfels. The NWS reported a “widespread haze” in Corpus Christi on Monday morning that was likely due to the dust. The day’s forecast changed from “haze” to “decreasing clouds” before 10:45 a.m., but the haze was still forecast for Monday night. San Antonio and Austin are expected to experience some haze Tuesday, according to the service.
Weather officials at the NWS in Fort Worth, however, said there has not been much seen on the radar in terms of the dust. The bulk of the dust is expected to pass to the west of Dallas-Forth Worth, but there is still a chance the area might see some effects.
“There is a fair amount that ... if it were to concentrate over the Dallas area, it might be more prominent tomorrow and then kind of waning again,” Oaks said. “So just one day where you might get some haze.”
