Houston will have a hot and hazy end to the week as the first plume of Saharan dust this summer arrives. Here's how air quality could be affected.

A vast cloud of Saharan dust—nearly the size of the lower 48 states —is making its way across the Atlantic and is expected to blanket the southeastern U.S. this week, creating hazy skies, higher temperatures, and lower air quality.

It’s also fortunate for residents of Florida and other Gulf Coast states — where the National Hurricane Center is monitoring a tropical system that has the potential to develop — as the dust could suppress and weaken the system that's right off the southeastern United States coastline.

Clouds of Saharan dust, originating in North Africa, have made their way across the Alantic Ocean and are impacting states along the Gulf of Mexico this week.

During the 2025 hurricane season, you'll find daily tropical weather forecast updates, particularly as they could impact the Texas Gulf Coast.

It is typical for dust to move across the Atlantic every year in early summer, WKMG reports. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says it is called the Saharan Air Layer, which is "a mass of very dry, dusty air that forms over the Sahara Desert during the late spring, summer and early fall."

Last Saturday’s storm started near Bloomington, Illinois, before traveling northeastward. It was the first such storm of this magnitude to hit the Windy City since the Dust Bowl, in the early-to-mid-1930’s – the first in 91 years.

Forecasters anticipate seeing Saharan dust every year, often from April to August, as it is a staple of hurricane season.