Saharan dust expected in San Antonio this week. Poor air quality looms.
After spending days looming over Texas and the rest of the south, the massive Saharan dust plume is heading out, but not before a San Antonio photographer was able to document the rare visit over downtown in a birds-eye video.
Courtesy, Adnan Sakib
You may begin to notice a orange-brownish haze in the sky this week in San Antonio.
According to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, “light to moderate amounts of African dust will continue moving inland in patches to eventually reach spots across much of the state.”
In San Antonio, folks can expect air quality to be moderate, meaning it’s not good nor unhealthy, but those with respiratory problems should stay cautious, according to the TCEQ.
So how does dust from Sahara make its way to Texas?
Meteorologist Sammy Hadi with the National Weather Service tells the New York Times, “It’s pretty much just carried by brisk upper-level winds that bring you dust particles, all the way across the Atlantic.”
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Although the African dust does reek havoc on those with asthma and other chronic lung diseases, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says you expect to see some pretty gnarly sunsets.
“Sunsets and sunrises take on more yellow and reddish hues because the low-angle sunlight passes through more of the atmosphere before it reaches your eyes. A heavy load of dust in the atmosphere can enhance this effect, leading to longer-lasting, duskier colors that cause vivid sunsets and sunrises,” NOAA says.
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These type of sunsets are pretty common in the summer since NOAA says, “Saharan dust activity typically ramps up in mid-June and peaks from late June to mid-August, with new outbreaks occurring every three to five days.”
So if you don’t have respiratory issues you might want to go outside and snap a photo of those captivating sunsets.
