It’s not every day that Saharan dust could be floating above the skies of the Twin Cities. But, that’s at the very least a possibility later this weekend.
An extra large plume of Saharan dust has been steadily moving thousands of miles east-to-west across the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and now, into the lower 48. Dust from the world’s largest non-polar desert could reach southern Minnesota this weekend, adding a vibrant red tint to area sunsets, especially on Sunday and Monday.
Overall, impacts from the dust plume are expected to be fairly limited across southern Minnesota. But, one notable difference could be an enhancement to area sunsets, again, mainly on Sunday and Monday as the dust swings through the middle and upper levels of the atmosphere.
You can see the fringes of this Saharan dust plume in the forecast below. Notice how an initial surge of dust moves through on Saturday evening, followed by lighter but longer-lasting dust on Sunday through the early portion of next week:
Saharan Dust Layer is forecast to make it into the Ohio Valley late this week into the weekend. If we get some breaks between storms, be on the lookout for what could be much more vivid sunrises and sunsets. @spectrumnews1oh #ohwx #sunrise #sunset #saharandust pic.twitter.com/rk0DDzwGsJ
— Eric Elwell (@EricElwell_TV) June 23, 2020
Unlike areas further south and east, the dust’s impacts in Minnesota are mainly expected to stay confined higher up in the atmosphere. That shouldn’t affect air quality at the surface, and any Minnesota impacts (again, mainly in the form of extra red sunrises and sunsets) will likely be seen in southern reaches of the state.
But, if you do notice an extra orange or red tint to the skies this weekend and into early next week, you can thank a plume of dust from a desert 5,000 miles away.