Saharan Dust to arrive in parts of the south by the end of next week.

This is the time of year that Saharan dust storms form as strong easterly winds streak toward the Caribbean. Saharan dust, made of very fine particulates of minerals, travels across the Atlantic Ocean from the Sahara desert region of Africa. It’s transported by the trade winds, near the Earth’s equator. This dust can limit the development of tropical systems.  It’s known as the Saharan Air Layer (SAL). How does this Saharan dust impact Atlantic hurricanes? The SAL is about 50 percent drier than tropical air. It is also associated with strong winds of up to 55 mph, which can increase vertical wind shear.  Since tropical systems need moist air and low wind shear, this dust can be a real problem for tropical storms and hurricanes to develop. During the summertime, these storms roll off of the African coast every three to five days. This dust can contribute to vivid nice sunrises and sunsets as well. You can see the dust below on the GOES Satellites some dust is already coming into the Atlantic. More dust will move eastward by the middle and end of next week. Parts of the US could see some of the dust between June 24th and 28th.