The Saharan air layer (SAL) is known to be able to affect deep convection in the tropical Atlantic. It is proposed that dry air associated with the SAL is more influential than its dust (aerosol) content. Based on this, it is argued that outbreaks of dry air, with or without large aerosol concentration, should be documented and their effect on precipitation in the tropical Atlantic studies. This presentation summarizes results from a recent project on these two topics. Dry-air outbreaks from Africa were traced using NVAP precipitable water data, their distinct pathways identified, their seasonal variations documented, their effects on precipitation in the Atlantic ITCZ are discussed.