Hazy skies have been a staple in Southwest and Central Virginia these past few weeks. This week, we have added a new pollutant to the mix: Dust from the Saharan Desert.
This dust event happens every year around early June, but it usually doesn’t impact us here in Southwest Virginia. This cloud is being moved from the Saharan Dust Layer. This happens when the dust is stirred up from tropical atmospheric waves and is lifted further in the atmosphere by plumes of hot and humid air. It then follows the westward track in the upper atmosphere.
Although we will not be as severely affected by this dust pollutant as the Southeast, which will bear the brunt of it, the dust mixed with Canadian wildfire smoke will continue to worsen air quality for the rest of the week.
This is something to keep in mind if you are unusually sensitive to respiratory irritants. The active and stormy pattern that we are entering into starting Friday will help us to clear the air. We will continue to monitor these air quality levels for the next several weeks.