HOUSTON – With August around the corner, the tropics have been fairly quiet since Hurricane Beryl, but we are instead tracking the Saharan Dust plumes that get caught up in the Trade Winds across the pond from Africa.
This dust has traveled thousands of miles across the globe to our Texas skies and is forecast to impact the Texas region as early as this afternoon/evening and stick with us through Friday.
But what is the Saharan dust and how is it going to impact us? Let’s break it down.
What is Saharan dust?
At its simplest definition, Saharan dust is dust particles that originate from the Sahara Desert in Africa. These particles are made up of tiny specks of minerals, such as sand and soil.
The Saharan Air Layer (SAL) is the layer of warm, dry, and dusty air that forms during the summer months. It extends vertically from the surface up to about three miles into the atmosphere and can travel thousands of miles. It impacts weather patterns, air quality, and even hurricane development. Let’s dive in!
Air quality around Houston
The Saharan dust not only creates those hazy skies that lead to beautiful sunrises/sunsets, but it can also affect the air quality around the city.
As a more dense plume of dust moves in, the air quality is expected to decrease. By Thursday, we could see the air quality dip even further to unhealthy levels. This could impact people who are sensitive to the dust, including those with upper respiratory conditions. For those who are sensitive, try to limit your time outdoors.
But what about the tropics?
Typically, when we see a heavier plume of Saharan dust move across the Atlantic, the dust squashes the chance of tropical development as it’s a layer of warm, dry air. Dry air is not conducive for tropical storms and hurricanes.
However, the National Hurricane Center is watching an area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms east of the Lesser Antilles. This area of storms has a 60% chance of developing into a tropical depression in the next seven days.
Fortunately for Houston, this system is currently not expected to impact us. The track is forecast to stay well to the east - out towards Florida and the Caribbean.