Why are skies over Dallas-Fort Worth amber and hazy? Blame the Sahara Desert
North Texans may be curious as to why the skies in Dallas-Fort Worth have a hazy, amber-colored look.
Saharan dust from Africa is to blame for the hazy skies, according to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Light to moderate dust is expected in most of Central and North Texas on Monday.
This annual occurrence happens when dust from the Saharan Desert in Africa is carried over the Atlantic Ocean by tropical waves, according to WFAA-TV.
After moving over the Atlantic Ocean, the dust continually moves west across the country. The dust itself does not hold any health hazards beyond irritating those with allergy issues.
Drier air is also associated with Saharan dust, which helps keep storm activity low, said Hunter Reeves, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Fort Worth office.
Storms need moisture to develop, and since Saharan dust drys out the air, it helps lessen or limit storm activities, Reeves said. As the dust moves out of North Texas over the next day, rain chances increase later in the week.
The NWS is forecasting isolated to scattered storms in North Texas from Wednesday through Sunday. Temperatures will range from the upper 80s to the mid-90s.
This story was originally published July 15, 2024 at 2:19 PM.
