Haze obscures views from Anchorage to Denali

If you’re wondering what that haze in the sky is that has been showing up recently, you’re not the only one.  Theories abound, and nobody, not even meteorologists in Anchorage, are willing to say what it is with one-hundred percent certainty.

What is known is that the haze is not smoke from a wildfire.  The interagency group that monitors fires in the state did not report any current wildfires between Anchorage and Fairbanks as of Friday afternoon.

The most likely theory is also perhaps the simplest…dust.  A forecaster with the National Weather Service in Anchorage says that dry conditions and melting snow cover mean that it is very easy for dust to get kicked up into the air.  While winds have not been particularly strong, it doesn’t take much to move the small particles.  Also, atmospheric pressure conditions are such that any dust that is kicked up would stay confined to lower altitudes, meaning that it’s easy to see from ground-level.

While it may prevent a good view of the mountain on an otherwise clear day, none of the experts seem overly concerned about whatever it is that is hazing up the Upper Valley sky.