DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0300Z December 5, 2006
Southern and Southeastern US: An incredible number of fires were detected today across the region stretching from Oklahoma and Texas across the Gulf coast states to Georgia. Quite a few smoke plumes were also noted scattered across the area. Most of these smoke plumes were long and narrow and relatively thin as brisk northerly winds pushed the smoke plumes quickly to the south. Somewhat more significant moderately dense smoke plumes were observed with a few of the fires over southeastern Texas, Louisana, and southern Arkansas. Arizona: Moderately dense smoke was seen moving west from a fire along the Yavapai-Coconino County border of central Arizona. Other somewhat smaller smoke plumes moving westward were observed with fires in northern Coconino County of northern Arizona as well as southern Apache and southern Navajo Counties of east central Arizona. California/Baja: The most significant smoke producing fire during the day was over far northwestern Baja, just south of San Diego County. Locally dense smoke was visible in the vicinity of this fire moving in a westerly direction off the west coast of Baja. A large mass of thin smoke with embedded patches of moderately dense smoke was visible off the coast of Baja and southern California. This was a combination of smoke from the northern Baja fire as well as from fires farther to the north in southern California around Ventura and southwestern San Bernardino Counties. The fires in Ventura and San Bernardino Counties only appeared to be emitting relatively thin patches of smoke which spread to the west. JS