The photos are surreal, like a Martian ski slope or a toasted marshmallow sky. But why did some people in Eastern Europe last week see the world in sepia tones? The answer lies hundreds of miles away. The orange-brown filter applied briefly to that part of the world was caused by dense Saharan dust kicked into the air and swept north, experts said. The process began when a polar jet stream made its way farther south than usual last week, bringing the strong winds and thunderstorms needed to whip up the dust, according to Tyler Roys, a meteorologist with AccuWeather.

Source: New York Times March 27, 2018 18:22 UTC