A plume of Saharan dust is traveling across the Atlantic Ocean and will arrive in the Gulf of Mexico by Thursday. Parts of the Texas Gulf Coast and the Southeast will see a hazy sky as a result. Areas in the path of the dust will experience vibrant colors in the sky during sunrise and sunset.
Florida is expecting rain during this time, so the dust could make the rain "dirty". The dust will not be as prevalent or as noticeable in North Texas.
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WATCH HEREHere are forecast models showing the arrival of the dust. The dust is depicted in the orange color.
Saharan dust arrives in Gulf of Mexico
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SIGN UP As the dust moves towards the U.S., the cloud extends some 2,000 miles from Jamaica to well past Barbados in the eastern Caribbean, and some 750 miles from the Turks and Caicos Islands in the northern Caribbean down south to Trinidad and Tobago.
The dust concentration was high, at .55 aerosol optical depth, the highest amount so far this year, said Yidiana Zayas, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The aerosol optical depth measures how much direct sunlight is prevented from reaching the ground by particles, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Weather Experts
However, plumes usually lose most of their concentration in the eastern Caribbean, he noted.
This plume of dust commonly forms during the late spring through early fall and moves into the tropical Atlantic Ocean.
The Saharan Air Layer is typically located between 5,000 and 20,000 feet above the Earth's surface and is transported westward by steering winds and tropical waves. The dust can also suppress hurricane activity.
