A massive plume of dust from Africa's Sahara Desert is spreading into parts of the U.S. after traveling 5,000 miles across the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.

Air quality has been unhealthy, even for healthy folks, in parts of Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina, as of Saturday evening.

Poor air quality is another possible impact from the dust into this weekend. That can aggravate those suffering from respiratory issues such as asthma and COPD.

Massive Saharan Dust Plume Will Spread Into the U.S. This Weekend As It Completes Its 5,000-Mile Journey From Africa | The Weather Channel
A massive plume of dust from Africa's Sahara Desert is spreading into parts of the U.S. after traveling 5,000 miles across the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. Known as the Saharan Air Layer (SAL), this dry dust plume commonly forms from late spring through early fall and moves into the tropical Atlantic Ocean every three to five days, according to NOAA's Hurricane Research Division (HRD).