Sahara dust

Leipzig, 09.03.2026 – Albert Ansmann

a lot of dust in the air

Everybody probably knows that there is a lot of dust in the air above Leipzig (and Central Europe) in these days since Friday…..

The sky is white, the sun is white!

This time the dust is more or less completely above 4 km height (up to 10 km height). The reason: Strong cumulus convection over the Saharan region that lofted the dust up to greater heights.

There are many ice clouds forming in the dust over Leipzig . Dust particles are responsible for all these clouds forming at -50 to -60 C.

Have a nice sunny and dusty day! And just ignore the weather forecast in this case .-)

Albert Ansmann

The depolarisation of the lidar shows the Saharan dust on Sunday, 8 March 2026, above Leipzig at an altitude of approx. 4–6 km as a green-yellow layer. Graphic: PollyXT Arielle Leipzig, TROPOS

Two layers of dust on Sunday, 8 March 2026, above Leipzig at an altitude of approx. 4-6 km. Graphic: PollyXT Arielle Leipzig, TROPOS

The new lidar in Melpitz near Torgau also clearly shows the Saharan dust at an altitude of approx. 4-6 km as a green-yellow layer. PollyXT Melpitz, TROPOS

The depolarisation of the lidar shows how the layer of Saharan dust at an altitude of approx. 4–6 km above Leipzig thins and descends on Monday. Graphic: PollyXT-FMT Leipzig, TROPOS

Saharan dust turned the evening sky milky – as seen here on 8 March 2026 near Kamenz in Saxony. Ice crystals in the atmosphere created a right sun dog. Photo: Tilo Arnhold, TROPOS

Calm winds and Saharan dust caused high levels of particulate matter in Saxony on 9 March 2026. This can be seen with the naked eye in the hazy visibility, as here when looking from the A14 motorway towards Collmberg near Oschatz. Photo: Tilo Arnhold, TROPOS