Saharan dust may cause striking sunsets in Mid-MO on Tuesday

Heat is dominating most headlines this week, but parts of the Midwest could see vivid sunsets thanks to a weather pattern thousands of miles away in Africa.

Strong winds lift massive amounts of dust off the Sahara Desert every year. They ride the trade winds across the Atlantic, sometimes covering three to five thousand miles, before settling over the Gulf Coast, the Southeast, and even the Midwest.

That dust scatters blue light from the sun, while allowing oranges and reds to shine through, resulting in spectacular sunrises and sunsets.

The dust also does more than paint the sky. It's dry and loaded with tiny particles that can suppress hurricane development, cutting off moisture and stabilizing the air over the tropics. Meteorologists watch these plumes of dust closely during hurricane season.

It also has ecological benefits. Saharan dust contains phosphorus and potassium that can fertilize the ground, and much of it ends up over the Amazon rainforest. NASA estimates that 22,000 tons of phosphorus are transported from Africa to the Amazon every year, nearly the same amount lost to rain and flooding.

Tuesday's sunrise and sunset could be more vivid as dust passes over Mid-Missouri, and visibility will be great with a dry forecast ahead.