Weather in the Deserts

Traveling in a desert can be challenging because of changing, often difficult weather conditions. Often located near the equator, most deserts are hot, dry places without water during the daytime but can reach very cold temperatures at night because of the lack of clouds. Sandstorms are also an important feature of desert weather.

Temperature Range

• Hot, dry desert environments can reach temperatures of 48 degrees Celsius during the day, as described by Schools and minus two degrees Celsius at night, according to Blue Planet Biomes. Some deserts have a different temperature spectrum, called "cold deserts." Cold desert locations, mainly near the Arctic, are snowy and icy during winter months rather than hot and dry all year, like a "hot-dry desert."

Rainfall and Humidity

• Places in the arid regions of central Australia and Africa, which are hot-dry deserts, receive rainfall each year of as little as one inch. All the rain usually falls in one short burst. Cold deserts have a large amount of snow cover, so they do see precipitation in spring months due to surface evaporation, but it only reaches around a maximum of 10 inches in an average year.

Pressure

• Weather patterns are dictated by a combination of high or low pressure atmospheres and proximity to the equator (a latitude 15-to-28 degrees North or South of the equator is common). A hot-dry desert is created by a high pressure area of atmosphere and equator location. Any cold air in the sky above the area falls quickly to the ground because cold air is more dense than warm air. It is then heated up by the hot earth, which has been baked by the strong sun, and any moisture contained in the air quickly evaporates, leading to the typical low rainfall.

Sandstorms

• Sandstorms (also called dust storms) are huge collections of fast moving sand particles, carried high into the air by strong, dry winds. They can measure between 12 inches and 65 feet and have a significant impact on visibility. Sandstorms are more frequent at certain times of the year when the air close to the ground is hottest and the atmosphere actually destabilizes as a result. Imagine the atmosphere as thick layers of smooth gas. As the air close to the ground gets too hot in summer months it breaks up and begins moving erratically. Sections of atmosphere above, in a second layer called the "troposphere," flow downwards into the spaces but at a much higher speed. As they pass the sand on the ground, they lift it and take large quantities long distances, before depositing it in a different location. As explained by Weather Questions, sandstorms are a serious abrasive which can damage property and machinery.