Saharan Dust Reaches the Alps as Freezing Levels Rise Above 3000 m

Saharan Dust Reaches the Alps as Freezing Levels Rise Above 3000 m

A hazy sky observed across parts of the Aosta Valley and the wider Alps in early March has an unusual origin: Saharan dust transported north across the Mediterranean. Meteorological observations indicate that large quantities of fine sand particles from the Sahara Desert have been carried into Alpine air masses during a prolonged period of high pressure. Similar Saharan dust events have been documented by atmospheric monitoring services across E…