Friday, May 12, 2006

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0300Z MAY 13, 2006.

Gulf of Mexico/Florida:
Smoke from the large number of fires across Mexico and Central America
continued to be concentrated along and ahead of a front which moved
into the southern Gulf of Mexico. The band of thin to moderately dense
smoke stretched from the Bay of Campeche to the Florida Keys and across
southern Florida to the Bahamas. The densest portion of the smoke appeared
to be north of the Yucatan Peninsula and also over the Bay of Campeche.
The large fire along the Hendry-Palm Beach-Broward county border region
flared up significantly this afternoon and evening sending a thick
batch of smoke eastward across southeastern Florida between West Palm
Beach and Fort Lauderdale. Other smoke from this fire  spread across
the remainder of southeastern Florida including portions of Miami and
toward the Bahamas.

Northern California/Oregon/Idaho:
At least a dozen smoke producing fires were noted across northern
California, Oregon, and central Idaho. A number of the smoke plumes were
rather significant producing moderately dense to even locally dense smoke.

Dakotas/South Central Canada:
A large number of what are believed to be primarily agricultural fires
were detected particularly across south central Canada. A few small
puffs of smoke were observed with a number of these fires which were
generally moving in a westward direction.

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.