Saharan dust???

[KTinTX]

We are just 17 long days away from our trip and I'm curious how the dust is shaping up this year. We have always visited in June and with only one exception have had some degree of haziness due to the dust. It's hard to tell from the webcams...anyone have any reports/forecast of how dusty it is?

[stjchica]

On our last trip someone on island told us the dust was making it slightly hazy (we never noticed it..)...and I was disappointed until they told me that the Saraha Dust is good because it keeps the hurricanes away..
Not sure if that is true or a wives tale...but it immediately made me appreciate the dust

[KTinTX]

Pam
I've heard the hurricane-dust relationship story before, too. I think there is some truth to it because it keeps the air dry and also much more dense.

The only issue to me is it hampers all those great clear sky and crystal water photographs and decreases the visibility and photo ops while snorkeling.

[Coconuts]

"anyone have any reports/forecast of how dusty it is?"

Say no more; say no more... but do click here!

http://forecast.uoa.gr/LINKS/DUST/dust. ... onc&lan=en

Hit the "Play" button at the top, and you will be treated, courtesy of the University of Athens, to an animated six day forecast of dust concentrations, in micrograms per cubic meter.

And yes, higher dust levels do at least seem strongly correlated with reduced frequency and strength of tropical storms:

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2006/s2719.htm

It turns out that much of the fertile soil of the Amazonian rain forest got there as Sahara dust.

But it prevents you from seeing El Yunque from Gifft Hill...

All the best,

Kevin

[KTinTX]

You the man, Kevin!

[jimg20]

There was signficant dust at the beginning of this week as we left. It is a sign that the African continent is dry and windy. That helps the islands by not adding moiture to the atmosphere and the wind inhibits the formation of storms.

At least that was what I was told.

JIM

[stjchica]

Awesome! Cool to know...

[ColumbiaSCTraveler]

How COOL! I've bookmarked the page....and will be reviewing it in about 2 months. CANNOT. WAIT!!!!

[adsjayhawk]

Coconuts,

Thanks for the link! It's in my bookmarks as well

[Capn Dan and Ruby]

Cool link, Bookmarked! You know some times good things can be an inconvenience for our pleasure. Kind of like the sea weed here. People don't like it but with out it we wouldn't have our protective dunes! So we just need to suck it up!

[greyhoundmom]

Dust, must, fuss! I don't care if it rains, snows, sleets or dusts! I'm going for two weeks soon and I'll still love it.....been there for Saharan, just puts a damper on your hillside view some afternoons. As long as I have a pool, rum and birds eating sugar, it's a win-win!!