Dust from Sahara Desert brings hazy skies around Houston

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The sky over the Houston area will be hazy this weekend, and not just because of the high humidity.

Dust from the Sahara Desert in north Africa is blowing this direction, carried by winds in the upper atmosphere. A fresh plume of dust will be moving into the area on Saturday and Sunday. That will create a milky, hazy sky during the day. The sunrise and sunset might also appear more orange and redder than usual because of the dust.

Some of the dust could settle into the lower atmosphere. People who have respiratory issues and are sensitive to dust might want to avoid spending prolonged periods of time outdoors this weekend until the plume of dust clears out on Monday.

There is a benefit to the dry, dusty air -- it keeps hurricanes from developing!

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