JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The tropical trade winds blow from east to west throughout the year, but in the northern hemisphere, they’re pronounced during the summer months. As winter low pressures from colder places near the poles fade away and stay well away from the equator, large high pressures develop.
Over the Atlantic Ocean there are two significant summer-time high pressures, both located in the mid-latitudes (well north of the equator). The Azores high pressure, in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Bermuda high pressure in the Western Atlantic Ocean. Often times they are both particularly strong, such that they link up, to the point they can push Saharan Dust (air) all the way across the Atlantic Ocean.
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These breezes are called trade winds (sailing ships in the past used these very predictable winds to transport goods across the world).
These winds also steer tropical systems across the continent of Africa, then across the Atlantic Ocean and if the tropical system doesn’t develop over the Atlantic, these tropical systems are pushed by the trade winds across the Pacific Ocean as well. Basically, trade winds extend across the globe.
Anyhow, dusty days in Jacksonville.
The hazy skies are actually Saharan dust particles. These particles are very fine. The bigger ones have already fallen back to Earth, but these lighter/smaller ones float and float and this time they made it to Jacksonville.
My best guess is we see between 3-7 days each summer with these dusty conditions.
Exact Track 4D Dust Model suggests it will be a brief visit as blue skies return in just a few days, see forecast below.
These dust particles cause curious changes to the atmosphere, in later updates, we will explore these impacts.