The Brief
- A high-pressure ridge is bringing a prolonged stretch of near-triple-digit heat and wind gusts up to 35 mph to North Texas.
- A massive plume of African mineral dust will blanket the region Monday and Tuesday, causing hazy skies and vibrant sunrises/sunsets.
- Sensitive groups should limit outdoor exposure due to poor air quality, though the high pressure is expected to break down with rain chances by Friday.
DALLAS – A ridge of high pressure building over North Texas will bring an extended stretch of intense heat and gusty winds, while a massive plume of Saharan dust traveling across the Atlantic is forecast to blanket the region with hazy skies early this week, meteorologists said.
Intense heat and high winds
The upcoming weather setup is a near “copy and paste” of recent conditions. On Saturday, official temperatures at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport reached 97 degrees, with western areas like Breckenridge hitting the 100-degree mark. East Texas saw slightly lower thermometer readings, such as 91 degrees in Athens, though high humidity levels pushed heat indices into the triple digits across the entire viewing area.
Sunday’s highs are expected to climb to about 98 degrees in the Metroplex — five degrees above the seasonal average of 93 — while western counties will likely see actual temperatures tap into the triple digits again. Strong, sustained southerly winds of 15 to 25 mph, with gusts reaching up to 35 mph, are expected to accelerate afternoon heating.
As the ridge of high pressure holds steady into Monday and Tuesday, the strong southerly wind flow will begin transporting a 5,000-mile-wide plume of mineral dust from the African continent into North Texas.
Saharan dust arriving
The National Weather Service notes that while the dry air mass accompanying the Saharan dust layer will help suppress local rainfall chances and block tropical development in the Gulf of Mexico, it will create widespread hazy conditions.
Health advisory and relief outlook
Health officials advise individuals in sensitive respiratory groups to limit prolonged outdoor exposure on Monday and Tuesday, when the dust concentration is expected to peak over North Texas. A silver lining to the arriving dust: the particulate matter will scatter sunlight to produce unusually vibrant, colorful sunrises and sunsets across the region.…