Did you know a massive plume of dust from Africa is on its way across the ocean — and it could impact this hurricane season?

Meteorologist Caitlin Kaiser explains.

What is the SAL?

The Saharan Air Layer, or SAL, is a mass of dust and dry air that forms over the Sahara Desert before moving over the tropical North Atlantic.

This forms because of intense daytime heating that happens in the desert, that lofts those particles into the air and then disturbances like cold fronts come and move those particles westward toward the Atlantic.

Once the dust layer moves off the west coast of Africa, it passes over a cooler, wetter layer of air that causes a temperature inversion, so this prevents mixing and allows that layer to stay intact as it moves across the Atlantic. 

(MORE: 3 things you need to know about the 2026 hurricane season)

Strong upper-level winds can push it as far as Florida, Central America and Texas. And at certain times, the dust can cover an area as large as the entirety of the lower 48 states.

Typically, it ramps up in mid-June and then peaks late June into mid-August. During peak time, new outbreaks of dust off the west coast of Africa emerge about every three to five days.

How does it impact hurricane season?

Saharan dust suppresses tropical development for three main reasons, according to Kaiser.

• Extremely dry air: It actually has 50% less moisture than a typical tropical environment.
• Strong winds: The SAL actually has winds of 25 to 55 mph, which can absolutely tear apart storms trying to form.
• Warm temperatures: That warmth stabilizes the air, which makes cloud formation really difficult.

What does that mean for this year?

The Saharan dust will keep the next couple of months relatively quiet in terms of the tropics.

This will start to erode toward the end of August, but due to El Niño conditions, the Atlantic basin is expected to see below average tropical activity through the end of the season.

What else does it affect? 

“Saharan dust can actually suppress clouds and thunderstorm formation,” Kaiser said. 

This means once it reaches places like the U.S. coastline, it can actually cause some of the hottest days because of that dry, dusty air that's stifling any afternoon thunderstorms.

The dust can also make for hazy skies, but there is one beautiful side effect, and that's the sunsets.

“They're glowing, they're orange, they're brilliant, and that's all because of the way that the dust scatters the sunlight,” she said.

(MORE: Weather Words: Saharan Air Layer)

Kaiser says you do need to be careful, though, because this does decrease air quality, which can affect people who are more vulnerable to respiratory illnesses.

We track the Saharan dust primarily through satellites, which lets us also see the temperatures, the winds and that dry, dusty air as it moves across the ocean — all of which improves our forecasts.

Content writer Ada Wood enjoys exploring the stories that science and climate teach us about our natural world and how it influences the way we live in it.