DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0045Z March 7, 2007
Note... Patchy thin high level cirrus clouds moved across much of the southern US from the central and southern Plains to the Southeast which made it difficult to detect smoke plumes as well as to determine density characteristics of the smoke which was visible. North Carolina: A fire close to the coast in Onslow County of southeastern North Carolina was emitting a locally moderately dense smoke plume which was blown rapidly to the southeast and well off the coast during the afternoon. South Carolina: A very large number of fires were detected primarily across the eastern portion of South Carolina. Despite the presence of cirrus clouds, some smoke of mostly thin density was detected from several of these fires. Erratic winds caused the smoke to fan out and change directions during the course of the afternoon. The thickest area of smoke of moderate density appeared to be with the fire near the Georgetown-Berkeley County border. This smoke primarily moved to the northwest. Georgia: Locally moderately dense to dense smoke was spreading to the southeast and across the border into northwestern South Carolina from a fire close to the Stephens-Habersham County border of northeastern Georgia. Moderately dense smoke was moving to the south from fires along the border of Jefferson and Richmond Counties of east central Georgia. Florida: The very thin leftover smoke in the eastern Gulf of Mexico from yesterday's fires which was described in the morning smoke text product, continued to move to the southwest and dissipated as the day progressed. A very long narrow smoke plume from a fire in coastal Dixie County of northern Florida moved to the southwest and offshore during the late morning and afternoon. Tennessee: Moderately dense to locally dense smoke was being produced from a fire in Polk County of far southeastern Tennessee. The smoke moved in a southeasterly direction and across the border into northern Georgia. Alabama: A large number of fires were detected in Alabama but only a few relatively thin smoke plumes were noted in satellite imagery possibly due to the interference from cirrus clouds. Thin smoke from a fire in southern Mobile County of southwestern Alabama moved to the west and paralleled the coast of southern Mississippi. Mississippi: Through the high clouds an apparent moderately dense to perhaps locally dense smoke plume was spreading to the northeast from a fire in Benton County of northern Mississippi. Louisiana: Moderately dense smoke was moving to the west from a fire in Vermillion Parish of southern Louisiana. A narrow smoke plume was moving northward from a fire in southwestern Vernon Parish of west central Louisiana. Arkansas: Significant fires with rather large moderately dense to locally dense smoke were detected in Madison County of northwestern Arkansas. The smoke was moving to the northeast into southern Missouri. Missouri: Patches of moderately dense smoke were observed moving to the north from fires in Shannon, Carter, and Wayne Counties of southeastern Missouri. Oklahoma: Very large smoke plumes of moderate to thick density were spreading to the northeast from fires around the region of southern Cherokee, northern Sequoyah, and eastern Muskogee Counties of eastern Oklahoma. The smoke extended well into southwestern Missouri by late in the day. Another rather large smoke plume of moderate to thick density was moving to the northeast and into southern Kansas from a fire in northwestern Woods County of northwestern Oklahoma. Yet another large but somewhat thinner smoke plume was also moving to the northeast from a fire in Major County of northwestern Oklahoma. Kansas: A thick smoke plume was moving northeastward from a fire in Barber County of southern Kansas. Texas: Northward moving smoke plumes were detected from fires in Montgomery, Polk, and Newton Counties of southeastern Texas as well as Kerr and Bandera Counties of south central Texas. JS