DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0300Z MARCH 16, 2006

Southeastern US:
Numerous fires were detected in satellite imagery across the
southeasten portion of the country. Quite a few smoke plumes were also
visible. Several fires over southern South Carolina produced an area
of smoke which moved southeastward and offshore. A rather concentrated
batch of fires across southeastern Alabama, southwestern Georgia, and
the Florida panhandle were responsible for an areas of moderately dense
smoke which had spread in a southward direction during the late afternoon.

Arkansas/Missouri:
Cloudiness overspread the region during the afternoon making smoke
detection difficult. However, before the clouds moved in a few smoke
plumes were visible moving northward.

Kansas:
Long narrow northward moving smoke plumes were noted from fires burning
in Hodgeman County of west central Kansas.

Oklahoma/Texas:
Several significant hotspots were detected in satellite imagery this
afternoon across Oklahoma and the northern Texas panhandle. However,
cloudiness prevented any smoke from being seen with the exception of a
northward moving smoke plume from a fire in southern Pittsburg County
of eastern Oklahoma.

JS

Unless otherwise indicated:

Areas of smoke are analyzed using GOES-EAST and GOES-WEST Visible satellite imagery.

Only a general description of areas of smoke or significant smoke plumes will be analyzed.

A quantitative assessment of the density/amount of particulate or the vertical distribution is not included.

Widespread cloudiness may prevent the detection of smoke even from significant fires.