Saharan Dust Headed For South Florida Friday
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Tired of the rainy season yet? After a deluge of rainfall Wednesday and Thursday, Friday may hold drier conditions.
The reason is a batch of Saharan dust is headed right for South Florida. The dust is often referred to in the meteorology world as a Saharan Air Layer or SAL.
It is located over The Bahamas, Thursday, and will move over Florida by Friday, said the National Weather Service in Miami.
The SAL is a layer of very dry air that originates off the West Coast of Africa. The dust typically moves all the way across the Atlantic Ocean toward the Caribbean and has been noted in the United Kingdom and across the United States, thousands of miles from where it originated.
It's not new to South Florida, as the SAL is typical in June and July.
It has been known to make it more difficult for tropical systems in the Atlantic Ocean to develop.
The possibility of fewer afternoon storms is welcome news considering more than two inches of rain fell in parts of South Florida Wednesday prompting flood advisories.
What can you expect?
The atmosphere will likely appear a little hazy as the dust moves across the region.
Fewer thunderstorms will occur, but development of storms is not completely ruled out.
Sunsets are often enhanced.
People with allergies may notice them more as the dust moves across the region.
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