The Saharan Dust Cloud Is Coming To North Carolina & Bringing Beautiful Sunsets With It
The sunsets along the mountain tops in The Tar Heel State are something you must see at least once in your life. If you thought the picturesque skyscapes couldn't get any better, just wait until this weekend. The Saharan dust cloud is on its way to North Carolina and could create some of the most beautiful sunsets out there.
While this might seem to be a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, it actually happens every year, but for some, this might be a new sight.
ABC 11 reports that this dust from the Sahara travels anywhere from 3,000 to 4,000 miles from Africa to the Caribbean, but now it's floating up the South Eastern Coast.
So how exactly can a cloud of dust create mesmerizing sunsets that almost look like they were painted by Bob Ross?
The Saharan Air Layer, or SAL, particles reflect the sun's rays to give off a deep red-orange hue to make those gorgeous sunsets worth breaking out your phone or the ol' camera for.
Another unique aspect of the dust cloud is that it can potentially keep tropical storms at bay.
This is due to the air being very dry with colder air trapped below the warmer air higher in the atmosphere, preventing the humidity needed to fuel a storm. This may cause a pause or reduce storm formation, or weaken the intensity of those that do manage to take shape.
According to a Facebook post from WRAL Weather on June 22, "If current trends persist the dust appears substantial enough to dim our incoming sunlight."
A few more potential impacts include a dusty haze appearance to the sky during the day, a reduction to air quality, as well as dimmer sunsets and sunrises.
Rainy evenings would affect your viewing of a one-of-a-kind sunset, however, because the dust will wash away.
According to the Weather Channel, Raleigh and Charlotte are only looking at about 20% chance of rain throughout the weekend, so you might be in the clear.
A few other southern states that will get a little taste of this dust include Florida, Texas, Tennessee, and even the potential for Mexico to be in the mix.