Hazy clouds in North Texas weren't pollution

[TexasStooge]

From The Dallas Morning News Staff

The purplish haze hovering over Dallas Monday morning was a low-dipping cloud, but it wasn't caused by pollution, meteorologists said.

National Weather Service meteorologist Jennifer Dunn said the smoky-looking clouds lingered below the tops of some of downtown Dallas’ tallest buildings - only 100 feet from the ground in some places.

“It’s kind of a tongue of low clouds coming up from Houston,” Ms. Dunn said. “They will probably burn off by late morning or early afternoon.”

As the clouds dissipate, the region’s air quality forecast will elevate to a level orange pollution watch, she said.

The forecast also calls for humid weather with temperatures in the upper 90s and a heat index in the triple digits. Light winds are expected at 5 to 10 mph.

Rain over the weekend amounted to less than half an inch of moisture for Dallas, but Ms. Dunn said outlying counties including Hillsboro, Wise, Ellis and Milam received as much as two inches.

The Dallas area is 3.26 inches below the normal rainfall of 17.86 inches for the year, she said.

As the dry spell and temperatures peak, some cities in North Texas are restricting the use of water.

For instance, Plano residents are asked to water only once a day between 7 p.m and 9 a.m.