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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
A Saharan dust cloud is headed to the U.S.: How does this occur?
After making its way across the Atlantic Ocean, a massive cloud of dust from the Sahara Desert is expected to reach the U.S. on Wednesday afternoon. The cloud of dust, which is believed to stretch 2,000 miles west to east and 750 miles from north to south, will first hit Florida and then spread to other states, according to USA Today. When it reaches Florida it will have traveled over 5,000 miles from North Africa. This is the largest Saharan dust cloud so far this year to travel across the Atlantic. It is expected to have little effect on air quality, as it will remain high in the atmosphere, but Floridians should see hazy skies or colorful sunrises and sunsets midweek. 'Typically we have nice blue skies, but with the dust, the whole sky looks soft and warm because the particles themselves are red,' said Joseph Prospero, professor emeritus at the University of Miami Center for Aerosol Science and Technology, according to The New York Times. 'Everything looks muted,' he added. This dust is technically known as the Saharan Air Layer, or SAL, and is a relatively common feature, according to The Washington Post. It is more unusual to see the SAL stay so strong after journeying across the ocean. The SAL is a very dry and dusty mass of air that forms above the Sahara Desert in late spring, summer and early fall, according to the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory. Every few days the dust clouds move over the Atlantic Ocean. According to The New York Times, the dry layer of air that makes up the SAL hovers around a mile above the Earth's surface and can be up to 2.5 miles deep. The SAL is carried west by the same winds that kick up hurricane season. These dust events can happen year-round but the largest occur from mid-June to late July and after early August the plumes of dust tend not to travel as far. Earlier this year a few smaller SALs crossed the ocean but this is the first significant plume of the year. 'It happens every year; some years have more dust transportation across the Atlantic than others,' said Sammy Hadi, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Miami, per The New York Times. 'It's like rinse and repeat every year, it's part of a normal cycle of Earth's oscillations.' Since the SAL is brought on by the same winds that drive tropical disturbances, excessive levels of dust can suppress and stifle tropical storms. This happens because the dust clouds are so dry and tropical storms require moisture to grow, per The Washington Post. The dust cloud is formed by light dry sands and other minerals, but they require a jet stream positioned correctly to send them westward. The SAL can also be shot northward toward Europe. This particular cloud that will reach the U.S. stirred up over Africa near Chad in late May. Meteorologists get plenty of notice for when an SAL is headed to the U.S., since the dust storms are visible by satellite developing over the Sahara seven to 10 days before reaching the Caribbean or the Gulf of Mexico, per The New York Times. Earlier this week, the dust cloud covered the Caribbean islands on its way to the U.S. The cloud was dense and caused hazy skies in Puerto Rico, and early Wednesday morning the cloud was affecting Cuba, per USA Today. The plume of dust should reach south Florida by Wednesday afternoon or evening, and then on Thursday it is expected to spread to the rest of Florida going north into parts of Georgia and South Carolina. By the weekend, it is predicted to reach other Gulf Coast and Southeastern states such as Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, reported AccuWeather. It is then expected to dissipate. Jason Dunion, a meteorologist who monitors Saharan dust and hurricanes, has been in Puerto Rico during a Saharan dust event before, per The New York Times. 'There's a lot of dry air, and you don't feel that dry air, but the clouds feel it because as they grow and form thunderstorms, they run into that dry air and they just collapse,' he said. 'They get stifled. So as this comes through to a place like Puerto Rico, you're going to tend to have fewer thunderstorms. It's going to probably be one of our hotter days. And very hazy. The haze is incredible.' It is possible that the Saharan dust could collide with smoke which made its way to the U.S. from wildfires burning in Canada, per USA Today. The smoke has caused unhealthy air quality in several states over the last week, including Minnesota and Wisconsin. It has also caused moderate air quality across most of the eastern half of the country. Later in the week, there could be a small area where the smoke and dust come together over the southeast, per USA Today. It should not cause health or safety issues, except for sensitive groups.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Florida on alert after massive Saharan dust cloud clobbers Caribbean — air quality will suffer, experts say
Florida's about to get a free shipment of dust — straight from the desert. A mammoth cloud of Saharan dust, roughly the size of the continental U.S., is barreling across the Atlantic and expected to smother parts of the Sunshine State in a rusty haze this week. The gritty gift from North Africa has already blanketed the Caribbean — and now it's Florida's turn to breathe it in. 'It's the biggest one we've had so far this season,' Jason Dunion, a meteorologist who monitors hurricanes and Saharan dust, told the New York Times in an interview over the weekend He likened the thick layer to a 'London fog' with a 'brilliant orange glow' at sunset. By the time the 5,000-mile trans-Atlantic traveler reaches the Gulf Coast — from Florida to Texas — it'll lose some of its bite, but residents can still expect surreal sepia-toned skies, muggy heat and a spike in allergy attacks. The dusty invasion may look apocalyptic, but it's all part of Earth's strange seasonal ritual. Between mid-June and late July, massive waves of superheated air over the Sahara launch particles sky-high, where winds from the African Easterly Jet blast them westward. And it even has a name: the Saharan Air Layer, according to Fox 35. 'It's like rinse and repeat every year, it's part of a normal cycle of Earth's oscillations,' Sammy Hadi, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Miami, told The Times. Although this isn't anything for people to fret about, the Saharan Air Layer weakens air quality, which will make going outside especially difficult for those with asthma or breathing issues. However, the surrounding dust does make for stunning picture-worthy sunrises and sunsets. And while Saharan dust may coat your car like it's been parked in a construction zone, it will make for fewer rain storms — which can be both a good and bad thing. 'There's a lot of dry air, and you don't feel that dry air, but the clouds feel it because as they grow and form thunderstorms, they run into that dry air and they just collapse,' Dunion dished to The Times. 'They get stifled.' Dust suppresses tropical storm formation by robbing the atmosphere of the moisture it needs to spawn serious weather. In other words: it's not just dirty — it's doing duty. That's good news for hurricane-watchers but not great news for everyone else, because typically the rain helps wash away all the sand and dust. So, without it — all of it just lingers in the air. Experts say the dust storms typically die down by August and September.
New York Post
3 days ago
- Climate
- New York Post
Florida on alert after massive Saharan dust cloud clobbers Caribbean — air quality will suffer, experts say
Florida's about to get a free shipment of dust — straight from the desert. A mammoth cloud of Saharan dust, roughly the size of the continental U.S., is barreling across the Atlantic and expected to smother parts of the Sunshine State in a rusty haze this week. The gritty gift from North Africa has already blanketed the Caribbean — and now it's Florida's turn to breathe it in. 'It's the biggest one we've had so far this season,' Jason Dunion, a meteorologist who monitors hurricanes and Saharan dust, told the New York Times in an interview over the weekend He likened the thick layer to a 'London fog' with a 'brilliant orange glow' at sunset. 3 A monster cloud of Saharan dust the size of the U.S. is stampeding across the Atlantic — and Florida's about to get hit with a face full of rusty haze. RAMMB / CIRA @ CSU By the time the 5,000-mile trans-Atlantic traveler reaches the Gulf Coast — from Florida to Texas — it'll lose some of its bite, but residents can still expect surreal sepia-toned skies, muggy heat and a spike in allergy attacks. The dusty invasion may look apocalyptic, but it's all part of Earth's strange seasonal ritual. Between mid-June and late July, massive waves of superheated air over the Sahara launch particles sky-high, where winds from the African Easterly Jet blast them westward. And it even has a name: the Saharan Air Layer, according to Fox 35. 3 The gritty gift from North Africa has smothered the Caribbean — now Florida's next in line to choke on the dusty takeover. FOX 35 'It's like rinse and repeat every year, it's part of a normal cycle of Earth's oscillations,' Sammy Hadi, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Miami, told The Times. Although this isn't anything for people to fret about, the Saharan Air Layer weakens air quality, which will make going outside especially difficult for those with asthma or breathing issues. However, the surrounding dust does make for stunning picture-worthy sunrises and sunsets. And while Saharan dust may coat your car like it's been parked in a construction zone, it will make for fewer rain storms — which can be both a good and bad thing. 'There's a lot of dry air, and you don't feel that dry air, but the clouds feel it because as they grow and form thunderstorms, they run into that dry air and they just collapse,' Dunion dished to The Times. 'They get stifled.' 3 Two waves of airborne grime are duking it out over the Southeast — caught between Sahara dust and wildfire smoke, locals are stuck in a gritty showdown. Jim Schwabel – Dust suppresses tropical storm formation by robbing the atmosphere of the moisture it needs to spawn serious weather. In other words: it's not just dirty — it's doing duty. That's good news for hurricane-watchers but not great news for everyone else, because typically the rain helps wash away all the sand and dust. So, without it — all of it just lingers in the air. Experts say the dust storms typically die down by August and September.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
'Roost rings' picked up in South Florida by National Weather Service radar
Evanescent crowns bursting with hues of yellow and blue were captured on National Weather Service radar this week in South Florida as flocks of birds took to the air at first light. The so-called 'roost rings," which resemble the random eruptions of a grand finale fireworks show, were captured by meteorologists in the Miami office of the NWS on one of the most powerful weather-detection machines in the world, the WSR-88D radar. Meteorologist Sammy Hadi said it's not unusual to see the roost rings on radar, especially this time of year when birds may be leaving wintertime homes to migrate north. The astronomical first day of spring is March 20, but meteorological spring began March 1. 'It is quite common to pick up migration patterns,' Hadi said. But it's also possible the birds seen the morning of March 5 are full-time residents of the Everglades just out for their daily meal. Birds are most often seen on radar during morning hours because that's when a temperature inversion — when temperatures warm with height — is more likely to suppress the radar beam. More: After a season of death by starvation, wading birds are on the rebound if rains stay away Radar works by sending out microwaves that bounce off objects and are reflected back to the radar antenna. When birds leave their nests, they interact with the pulses of energy emitted by the radar. Those pulses fade or disappear as the birds fly above or below the radar beam. Advances in radar technology have allowed researchers and meteorologists to more easily tell the difference between weather, such as rain showers, and critters, including bats, bugs and migrating birds. 'It's fascinating stuff,' Hadi said. 'Weather radars are amazing, and they can pick up everything.' Scientists from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology used 143 weather radars to study bird migration patterns nationwide between 2013 and 2017. Their research found fall migrations bring 4 billion birds into the skies over the United States. They could also estimate bird survival rates between autumn and spring migrations, finding that long-distance fliers that cross into Central America had a 76% rate of return, compared to 64% of those with shorter migrations such as from Canada into the contiguous United States. The study says that birds who stay in the U.S. may have a higher number of hazards to deal with, such as buildings to crash into and habitat disturbance. Kimberly Miller is a journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network of Florida. She covers real estate, weather, and the environment. Subscribe to The Dirt for a weekly real estate roundup. If you have news tips, please send them to kmiller@ Help support our local journalism: Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami National Weather Service radar picks up roost rings in Everglades
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Fire breaks out in building along South Dixie in West Palm, filling neighborhood with smoke
(This story has been updated with new information) WEST PALM BEACH — A fire broke out early Wednesday in a building just south of downtown West Palm Beach, sending plumes of smoke into the air visible from Interstate 95. City officials placed the fire on the 400 block of Claremore Drive, near South Dixie Highway and the Flamingo Park neighborhood north of Belvedere Road. The fire closed Dixie to vehicle traffic in both directions "until further notice" and briefly interrupted traffic along the Federal East Coast Railway tracks. City officials also urged those with respiratory problems to stay indoors until the air clears near the area of the fire. The area includes residential and commercial properties and occupants have all been evacuated and are safe. That includes the nearby Greene School, a Pre-K through 12th grade school that several precautions to keep students safe, including shutting down AC units that would draw in smoke. The smoke, which could be seen for miles, still hovered closer to the ground because of an early morning meteorological phenomenon called an inversion. A lack of overnight breezes allowed cooler air to settle closer to Earth with warmer air rising. That capped how high the smoke could rise in the sky until winds picked up to start mixing the layers of the atmosphere and obliterate the air-blocking dam. "The inversion isn't allowing the smoke to rise much and that's why it's just very slowly moving north because there are very light breezes out of the southwest," said National Weather Service meteorologist Sammy Hadi, who is in the Miami forecast office. " said "It's quite common in the morning and the same kind of ingredients that lead to fog." Hadi said we would normally be able to see the fire from the Terminal Doppler radar at Palm Beach International Airport but it was down for service on Wednesday. Hadi said that's common outside of hurricane season. This is a breaking story. Check back to for updates. Staff Writer Kimberly Miller contributed to this report. Tom Elia is an editor at The Palm Beach Post, overseeing coverage of public safety, the courts and Palm Beach County's northern and western communities. You can reach him at telia@ Support local journalism: Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Fire breaks out in building along South Dixie in West Palm Beach
