Waking up on Tuesday, August 4, many Arizonans were wondering about the hazy sky.
After a windy Monday night, looking out at the sky on Tuesday morning, there was a slight layer of white over the blue sky.
During Arizona's summer monsoon season
, this dusty hue can be typical, signaling a storm from the night before. It's also common when wildfires break out in the area, causing smoke to loom over the sky.Here's what the National Weather Service said about Tuesday morning's hazy sky in metro Phoenix.
Why is Phoenix so hazy today?
The hazy sky on Tuesday morning was a result of dust storms from the previous night.
According to Mark O'Malley, a representative from the National Weather Service in Phoenix, the dust across metro Phoenix, as well as the thunderstorms in Tucson last
night, lingered into the morning.
More storms are expected in the days to come, but it's too early to know whether the upcoming storms will bring a haze as intense as Tuesday's, according to O'Malley.
Why is the air quality bad today?
The poor air quality Tuesday morning was due to the dust that was still in the air from the previous night's storm.
According toAccuWeather, the air quality was 109 in Phoenix, which is considered "unhealthy" and can cause issues for sensitive groups with health problems.
Air quality is measured on a scale of zero to 500, with zero to 50 being good, 51 to 100 being moderate, 101 to 150 being unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151 to 200 being unhealthy, 201 to 300 being very unhealthy and 301 to 500 being hazardous and a health emergency.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Why is the sky so hazy this morning? What metro Phoenix should know
