Monday, May 28, 2007

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1615Z May 28, 2007

Southeastern US:
An extensive region of smoke can be seen this evening originating from the
large ongoing fires in southeastern Georgia.  High density smoke was seen
at sunset emanating from the point source and extending over southwestern
Georgia, southeastern Florida and the extreme northern portion of the
Florida Panhandle.  Smoke of at least moderate density was visible across
southern and northeastern Georgia, the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, the
Florida panhandle, a large portion of Alabama, northeastern Mississippi,
eastern Arkansas, and nearly all of Tennessee and Kentucky.  Thinner smoke
surrounded the moderately dense smoke and appeared to extend as far west
as central Arkansas north to eastern Iowa.  The northern portion of the
thin smoke then extended from Iowa east to southern West Virginia and
western Virginia.  Farther to the east, haze covered part of the Middle
Atlantic region and the coastal waters off the Middle Atlantic coast. This
haze may contain some residual smoke from the Georgia fires in addition
to contributions from other pollutants.  Over southern Florida, several
fires in the Lake Okeechobee area were emitting smoke plumes that were
moving in a westerly direction.  The most significant plume was associated
with a fire on the north shore of Lake Okeechobee.  The moderate density
smoke plume extended west through Glades and Charlotte county and into
the coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico between Sarasota and Fort Myers.

Lower Mississippi Valley:
A significant number of what are believed to be agricultural fires
were noted from Louisiana north to Arkansas and western Tennessee.
Smoke detection was precluded by existing moderate density smoke over
the region from the southern Georgia fires and also from approaching
high clouds from weather system to the west of the region.

California:
A fire over north central Tulare county was producing a thin to moderately
dense smoke plume over north central Tulare county.  At sunset the
plume was seen slowly drifting to the south.  To the north, a fire over
western Placer county was producing a thin smoke plume that was drifting
mostly southeast.

Hanna

 


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.