A dust plume from the Sahara Desert will be arriving in North Carolina this weekend – look out for spectacular sunrises and sunsets! Our Air Quality team will be keeping an eye on their instruments, which should pick up some info on the concentration of “PM10” – dust-sized particles in the air. These particles can be inhaled and cause issues for people with asthma, allergies, or respiratory illnesses (including COVID-19), so please exercise caution and wear a mask or stay inside if you’re concerned. Fortunately, we’re expecting most of the dust to stay suspended high in the atmosphere, between 20,000 and 30,000 feet.
