FordGT, Tarp your Pantera next week

Guest

Gary,
You're not going to believe this! A dust cloud from the Sahara Desert is coming across the ocean, and due to hit Florida this coming week. Get many dust storms in lush Florda, do ya? In the desert southwest, they happen. Worst I've seen got visibility down to 1/4 mile. Also left a layer of dust everywhere: in and on and inside my Pantera. Recommend putting the car cover on this week, 'cause even if you leave the windows up, it'll still get dust inside the cockpit. Maybe plan on cleaning the air filter if you have to drive it in the dust. For sure, you're going to need that compressed air gun to clean it the following wekend.

On a different note. How's your mother-in-law like riding to church on Sundays in that read Pantera trailer you have?

Let me know what a dust storm travelling thousands of miles across the oceans is like. I read about it Saturday, on the CNN ticker tape at the bottom. If it's that big, it either mixes with rain and makes mud or comes all the way across the USA. Can you imagine that? I'll be really curious to know about your Florida dust storm!
Ron

7/24/051:59 AM

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Original Post

veryfast italain (Guest)

Now that I've lost all credibility on things weather and astronomical, I thought I better do the Coz thing and apply research methods. This story is from the Washington Post, but there's lots of stories and photos which I found using the Google search, key phrase: "Saharan Dust"

This thing's the size of the continental United States! It's now estimated to reach Florida later this week. In the phot, look at the curvature of the Earth, to get an idea.
__________________

Hazy Cloud of Saharan Dust Nearing U.S.

The Associated Press
Saturday, July 23, 2005; 2:59 PM

MIAMI -- An enormous, hazy cloud of dust from the Sahara Desert is blowing toward the southern United States, but meteorologists do not expect much effect beyond colorful sunsets.

The leading edge of the cloud _ nearly the size of the continental United States _ should move across Florida sometime from Monday through Wednesday.

"This is not going to be a tremendous event, but it will be kind of interesting," said Jim Lushine, a severe weather expert with the National Weather Service in Miami.

He said the dust could make sunrises and sunsets spectacular.

It might not have much effect on the rest of the country, said Scott Kelly, a meteorologist with the weather service in Melbourne.

"Maybe south Texas or Mexico if that dust cloud keeps moving westward, but nothing north of Florida, unless a weather system can dive southward and pull that air northward," he said.

Such dust clouds are not uncommon, especially at this time of year. They start when weather patterns called tropical waves pick up dust from the desert in North Africa, carry it a couple of miles into the atmosphere and drift westward.

If the dust is concentrated enough, it could create some problems for people with respiratory problems, said Ken Larson, a natural resource specialist with the Broward County Environmental Protection Department.

"If somebody is subject to a respiratory condition, if they see hazy skies, they might want to take a little more precaution, not participate in strenuous activity and stay indoors," Larson said.