DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 2215Z January 9, 2006
Florida: (thru 2215Z) A fire near Holley in S Santa Rosa county is producing smoke that is mixed with clouds and covers the southern 2/3rds of Okaloosa county as well as over the burning area. The smoke appears to be aiding the nucleation process for cloud development. A fire in SE Leon county south of Bloxham produced a convective burst of smoke that has been moving from SE to E under influence from the midlevel westerly flow, while low level smoke is moving NNE across Gadsden county to the GA boarder. The mid to upper level smoke is fanning out and extends SE 20km into central Wakulla county as well as extending E 30km to near the Jefferson/Madison county line. The low level smoke extends NNE 39km and is about 14km wide. A fire in eastern Franklin county between US-319 and SR-67 is producing thin smoke that extends N 49km along the Ochlockonee River and is about 10km wide. A fire just N of I-10 and E of US-441 in the Osceola Nat'l Forest is producing thin smoke that is wafting in nearly all directions under very weak flow but is trending more N than most other directions. The smoke covers most of N Columbia county with some coverage of far E Hamilton and far W Baker county. This smoke combines with another area of thin smoke from a fire along the FL/GA state line just S of SR-89 in GA in Echols county. This smoke also is wafting in multiple directions but mostly N where it covers E Echols and S Clinch counties. Arizona: (thru 2215Z) A fire along the Greenlee/Apache county (along the Salt Black River) just NW of Hannagan Meadow is producing moderately dense smoke that extends SW 37km along the river to the bend in the river before it turns NW again. A fire in the Kaibab Nat'l Forest SW of Tusayan in Coconino county is producing moderately dense smoke that extends W 68km into the central portion of the Coconino Plateau. Mexico: A fire in W Sonora just E of Lagunitas is producing thin smoke that extends due S 94km to the Gulf of California. The plume is about 7km wide. This text product was issued earlier than normal due to most of the visible smoke was relegated to the Eastern US, where visible imagery is becoming unavailable due to local sunset. This product WILL be updated later tonight as the smoke from the Western fires in Arizona continue to grow/expand. Gallina