West Texas dust moves into Dallas-Fort Worth

After this morning's severe storms, many North Texans saw another strange sight in the sky.

Why is the sky orange?

Image 1 of 4

 

What we know:

Dust from West Texas has made its way to Dallas Fort-Worth.

Cameras from our North Dallas tower camera show the orange dust over the city around 2 p.m.

The strong winds we are experiencing in North Texas carried the dust particles to our area.

Dallas weather: How strong were Tuesday's winds?

A haboob in West Texas kicked up the dust earlier this week.

The dust eventually moved out of the area.

Downtown Dallas - Bank of America Plaza North

Downtown Dallas - Bank of America Plaza South

North Dallas – Pinnacle Tower

Downtown Fort Worth – Burnett Plaza

DFW International Airport

What is a haboob?

Haboob is another name for a dust storm.

According to NOAA, it gets its name from the Arabic word "haab," which means wind or blow.

Intense downdrafts from nearby thunderstorms cause haboobs. Heavy rains or a collapsing thunderstorm can bring an enormous rush of cold air racing toward the ground. As the air hits the ground, it rushes outward -- think of what happens when you drop a water balloon, and it explodes on the ground sending water rushing out in all directions, only in this case, it's air rushing outward.

The front edge of the air rush — known as an outflow boundary — will scoop up a lot of the dust and dirt on the barren landscape and carry it along, creating what amounts to a dust front. 

The Source: Information in this article comes from the FOX 4 weather team and tower cameras across North Texas. Information on haboobs comes from FOX Weather.

WeatherDallasFort Worth