DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0300Z February 23, 2006
Florida: Numerous fires scattered across a good portion of the Florida peninsula were responsible for more than a dozen smoke plumes which spread rapidly to the northeast. Due to a widespread cumulus field across the state during the afternoon, many of these smoke plumes did not become visible until later in the afternoon when the cumulus field began to diminish. By that time, some of the smoke plumes had mixed together to form rather large areas of smoke which moved toward and off the east coast of Florida. Kansas: Several smoke plumes were observed with fires detected over Kansas this afternoon, with brisk westerly winds blowing the plumes generally in an eastward or east-southeast direction. The most significant plumes originated from fires located over southern Riley County and along the border of Cloud-Republic Counties of northeastern Kansas, as well as over western Finney County of western Kansas. California: A fire to the east of San Diego in the vicinity of Jamul produced a moderately dense smoke plume which fanned out in both a southwesterly direction and southeasterly direction. Some of the smoke appeared to pass across the southern portion of the San Diego metropolitan area. A cluster of fires across Sutter, Colusa, and Glenn Counties of north central California emitted very narrow smoke plumes which rapidly spread southward during the afternoon. One of these plumes extended over 100 miles to the south of its source. Oregon: Locally dense smoke was observed moving generally in a southward direction from fires located in both the northern and southern portion of Coos County in southwestern Oregon. JS