Saharan dust is on the way to South Mississippi. Here’s what that means for us

A cloud of dust from the Saharan Desert will sweep across the Gulf Coast this week with dry air that could mute blue skies and intensify the color of sunsets.

The dust is common this time of year and reached the Caribbean by Monday. Forecasters said it will thin by the time it reaches the Gulf Coast but could still be noticeable from Florida to Texas through Friday.

It is unlikely Mississippi Coast residents will feel major impacts. But Mike Efferson, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Slidell, said it could create a slight haze and make sunsets more vivid.

“Dust particles scatter the sunlight,” he said. “As the sun sets, that light’s more refracted.”

The dust is also good news for South Mississippi in the first week of hurricane season, which began Sunday. The dry air and strong winds that surround the Saharan dust can stop storms from forming because hurricanes need warmth and moisture to grow.

“The Atlantic is closed for business for at least the next week to week and a half,” Michael Lowry, a Florida meteorologist wrote in a Monday newsletter. The dust, he added, “will also deter organized storminess for the near term.”

The dust clouds form when strong winds across the Saharan Desert lift dust into the atmosphere and send it over the Atlantic Ocean.

This story was originally published June 2, 2025 at 9:57 AM.