A large plume of dust from Africa's Sahara Desert Has made it to North Texas.
The dust was picked up and transported by strong trade winds over the Atlantic Ocean.
Computer models show the dust over North Texas through the weekend. The dust is depicted by the rust color on the maps.
The forecast for Friday, June 26, shows the dust continuing to stream in from the Gulf Coast.
On Saturday, June 27, the dust is still covering the Gulf Coast and Texas. Winds will then carry away some of the dust particles. The dust starts to scatter on Sunday, June 28.
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Saharan dust typically moves across parts of the Atlantic Ocean from late spring through early fall. Every once in awhile the dust plume is large enough and the trade winds strong enough to carry it thousands of miles toward the U.S.
When dust is in the air, the particles are high in the atmosphere and scatter light. This results in beautiful sunsets.
Dust is also good for limiting hurricane development. Hurricane season started early and active, with three named storms already. With the dust present, no tropical formation is expected over the next week. The dry air and winds with the dust prohibit tropical storm formation. Hurricanes need very humid air with light winds to form.
While there are some positives to the Saharan Dust, it can also irritate some people. If you have respiratory issues or allergies you may notice itchy eyes, nose or throat during this time.
