Hazy skies expected as dust moves through Gulf Coast states

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – You’ve probably heard all about it in the past several days…a plume of dust blowing into the Southeastern United States.

Saharan dust moving into our area isn’t all that uncommon. Trade winds off the coast of Africa pick up dust from the desert and move it across the Atlantic several times per year.

However, this is one of the largest and densest plumes that have occurred in the past several years.

While the dust won’t have significant impacts on us, skies will appear hazy and milky through the weekend. If you suffer from allergies, you may also experience some more sniffing and sneezing than normal.

The dust plume does have some positive impacts however. Hurricanes and tropical systems struggle to develop in dry and dusty air, and in the right conditions, the dust can help to add more color to our sunrises and sunsets.

For the latest weather forecasts and information, visit wcbi.com/weather.