Saharan dust: When is it coming to Florida? What is it?
ORLANDO, Fla. — A plume of dust from Africa will arrive in Central Florida on Wednesday. Saharan dust plumes are common in the western hemisphere during the summer months. These tiny dust particles travel for thousands of miles through what is known as the Saharan Air Layer and are clearly visible on satellite images. PHOTOS: Saharan dust as seen in Central Florida: Sunrises, sunsets, hazy & milky skiesHEADS UP: Today, the dust arrives. Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 17 WFTV Severe Weather Center 9 Saharan dust making Central Florida's skies hazy.
wftv.comTropical Tracker: Saharan dust could bring vibrant sunrises, sunsets to Central Florida
A quiet stretchSince Cristobal’s landfall, wind shear has dominated the tropical Atlantic, helping to keep tropical development down. El-Nino tends to suppress tropical development with higher wind shear and sinking air over the Atlantic. The blue bar represents La-Nina. Green represents rising air more favorable for tropical development. This does not guarantee storm development as other factors are in play, but hints at the most favorable locations for a storm.
How dust from the Sahara Desert can impact Central Florida's weather
ORLANDO, Fla. - Although the Sahara Desert is more than 6,500 miles away, did you know its mineral dust can travel across the Atlantic Ocean and affect weather in Central Florida? The Saharan Air Layer (SAL) is an air mass made up of a mostly dry, warm and occasionally dust-filled layer in the atmosphere that lingers over the 3-million-square-mile African desert. While it makes its trek over the open waters, the dry and stable air mass also affects the weather around it. Well there's a big plume of Saharan Dust over much of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and Southeast US! Besides bringing a slight haze to the sky locally, Saharan dust can play a role in keeping our rain chances relatively low, as well as delivering some gorgeous red and orange sunrises and sunsets.
How dust from the Sahara Desert can impact Central Florida's weather
ORLANDO, Fla. - Although the Sahara Desert is more than 6,500 miles away, did you know its mineral dust can travel across the Atlantic Ocean and affect weather in Central Florida? The Saharan Air Layer (SAL) is an air mass made up of a mostly dry, warm and occasionally dust-filled layer in the atmosphere that lingers over the 3-million-square-mile African desert. While it makes its trek over the open waters, the dry and stable air mass also affects the weather around it. Well there's a big plume of Saharan Dust over much of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and Southeast US! Besides bringing a slight haze to the sky locally, Saharan dust can play a role in keeping our rain chances relatively low, as well as delivering some gorgeous red and orange sunrises and sunsets.