Overview
- A band of Saharan dust traveled into South-Central Texas and pushed north toward Central Texas and the Dallas–Fort Worth area, producing milky daytime skies and stronger red and orange sunrises and sunsets.
- The plume was concentrated in the mid‑levels of the atmosphere around 5,000 to 6,000 feet, where it may mix downward during daytime heating and slightly mute sky clarity.
- Health agencies warn that fine dust particles include PM2.5 that can reach deep lungs so people with asthma, chronic lung disease, heart conditions, older adults, and young children should limit outdoor exposure.
- Forecasters and agencies including NOAA, the National Weather Service, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and the FAA are monitoring air quality, visibility aloft, and aviation impacts as the plume moves across the Gulf.
- Satellite tracking and forecasts reported stronger presence on June 29, and models show the plume weakening as it mixes with Gulf moisture through Tuesday which should reduce its effects on air quality and skies.