Rare Dust Plume Brings Unusual Weather to Disney World

Walt Disney World visitors heading to Orlando next week are in for an unusual weather experience. A rare late-season Saharan dust plume is crossing Florida, bringing hot and dry conditions.

The Saharan Air Layer (SAL), a mass of dry air originating over West Africa, typically tapers off by late August. However, this year's SAL has lingered, and forecast models confirm that it will push across the Atlantic into Sunshine State airspace.

While the dust remains suspended between 5,000 and 20,000 feet above ground level, its presence alters Central Florida's atmospheric dynamics. It suppresses cloud growth, reducing afternoon thunderstorm probabilities and allowing solar radiation to push daytime highs into the mid-90s.