Sahara Desert Dust from Africa in Evansville Skies This Week

If it looks a little hazy outside, that's not the smoke you're seeing. That's actually dust from Africa!

You are going to want to keep an eye on the sky this week, as the sky will be a little hazier than usual. It will be a beautiful sight to see, but if you're wondering why it will be so hazy over the next few days, it's all due to the Sahara Desert.

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Saharan Dust in the Evansville Skies This Week

The Sarahan dust will be in the Evansville area this week Wednesday through Sunday. According to Indiana Storm Chasers:

Saharan dust from Africa has made the long journey across the Atlantic Ocean and will now reach the Upper Midwest. The entire region will be affected by this, especially those with allergies. More amazing sunsets will be visible, so break out your camera and take a trip this week to watch the sun go down.

How Did It Get Here?

To understand how the Saharan Dust made its way from Africa to the Evansville area, KHOU explains:

<div class="article__section article__section_type_text utility__text"><p>What happens is thunderstorms develop during the monsoonal season, which is from May to September, and as it happens, storms develop, and as they collapse they create outflow boundaries.</p></div><div class="article__section article__section_type_text utility__text"><p>Those outflow boundaries are just a big rush of air.</p></div><div class="article__section article__section_type_text utility__text"><p>As that air rushes through the Sahel and into the Saharan desert, it picks up dust.</p></div><div class="article__section article__section_type_text utility__text"><p>That dust lifts into the air and gets lofted by the trade winds and is carried thousands of miles across the Atlantic.</p></div>

What to Look Out For

Over the next few days here in the Evansville area, you will notice some beautiful sunrises and sunsets that will have deep red and orange hues. According to Fox 59:

Under dense conditions, the sky may appear milky white during the day with the dust blocking light and causing muted sunsets in the evening.

While it may be beautiful, it could create some issues for some people. high concentrations of fine dust particles could cause you a little difficulty if you have respiratory issues.

See How Downtown Evansville Has Changed Over the Years

I find looking back on the way things used to be fascinating. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I'm living through the current time period. The conveniences of answering any question we have in seconds, or ordering practically anything we want or need and having it delivered to our doorstep is pretty sweet. But, there is something fun about seeing how things around us have evolved. As an Evansville native, and spending quite a bit of my time in downtown Evansville (that's where the station is located), I've always appreciated the older architecture of the buildings around the area. So, I dug into the Willard Library Archives to see how a few of those areas look now compared to then. Some have changed a little, others quite a bit, and a few don't even exist any more. Take a look.

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An Evansville resident recently posted a question in the "I Grew Up in Evansville, Indiana" Facebook group asking other members to share any hidden or little-known facts about our city not many residents would know. The answers were wide-ranging, covering everything from our manufacturing history to our place in Civil War, to a couple of popular landmarks still standing today that were the first in the entire state of Indiana. No matter how long you've lived here, chances are there will be a few things on this list you didn't know about the city we call home.