DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0200Z March 25, 2008
Update for Hawaii: A large VOG plume can be seen from Kona to the southern tip of Hawaii extending due west to at least 165W...where it is being pulled NW in association with a low pressure system...the plume also continues west along 20N out toward the dateline as well. Additionally, an ash eruption is ongoing from the main Caldera of Kilauea out of Halema'uma'u Crater, also mixed with VOG/So2/steam...this area was seen moving due south a few km off the coast before easterly flow began to turn it westward around the southern tip of the island. Today, many agricultural or controlled burns across the of the south-central Plains of OK/TX (smoke generally moves N or NNE) and southern states from AR/LA to SC (smoke generally moves S or SE) have produced countless small plumes of very thin to thin density...below is a account of more significant smoke plumes or areas. A graphic or GIS version of the graphic can be seen at www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/FIRE. Coastal South Carolina/Georgia: Multiple agricultural fires in the coastal counties of SE Dorchester county SC to Bryan county GA have produced plumes of thin smoke that are moving SE over the coastal waters of the Atlantic as far out as XX km from shore, covering an area 210km (NE-SW) by 240km (NW-SE). Alabama: A fire in central Winston county, AL is producing a large plume of thin smoke that extends SE to the county line between Autauga and Elmore counties (~200km) with an average width of 20km. A fire extreme N Perry county(along the far Swrn boarder of Bibb) has produced a plume of thin smoke that extends SSE to extreme Conecuh county (~140km) with an average width of 10km. A fire along/very near the central coast of Mobile county produced a plume of thin to moderate smoke that moved due south across the northern GoM. This plume extended more than 300km with an average width of 20km. Mississippi: A fire in extreme NW Winston county, MS produced a large puff of moderately dense smoke that has been moving SE but has recently shifted SSE to S. The moderately dense smoke currently covers Lauderdale and Clarke counties in MS with some in SW portions of Choctaw, AL at this time...a thin area of smoke can be seen extending back to the source. A fire in E Lafayette county is producing a plume of thin smoke that extends SSE to W Clay county with an average width of 10km. A fire in north-central Grenada county is producing a plume of thin smoke that extends SE into E Attala county with an average width of 5-10km. A fire in S to SW Franklin county produced a puff of moderately dense smoke that has moved due south into LA and currently extends between E East Feliciana parish to extreme N Terrebonne parish with a width of 20km along its length. Louisiana: A fire along E boarder of Rapides and Grant parishes has recently developed and produced thin to moderate smoke that is drifting slowly S to SSW covering a large portion of central Rapides parish. Arkansas: A fire in N Franklin county is producing a line of thin to moderately dense smoke that extends NE across Madison and Carroll counties. The plume is about 10-15km wide but extends about 100km to the MO/AR state line. A fire along the Searcy county line in Newton county is producing a plume of thin to moderate smoke that extends NW to the MO/AR state line in central Marion county. A fire along the Pope/Searcy county line is producing a plume of thin to moderate smoke that covers the central portion of Searcy county. A fire in central Logan county is producing thin to moderately dense smoke that covers most of Johnson county into southern portions of Newton county. The plume is about 5km wide near the source but closer to 20km across Johnson county. A fire in extreme NE Montgomery county produced moderately dense to dense smoke but mid-level cloud cover moved in and currently the smoke cannot be seen though it appeared to be moving toward the NE and ENE. Oklahoma: A fire in central McCurtain county produced moderately dense to dense smoke that began to move NE across SW OK into Western AR before being obscured by mid-level clouds. Many fires across N Atoka county have produced a plume of moderately dense smoke that extend NNE into central Mayes county in NE OK. The plume is on average about 25km wide. A fire in central Dewey county is producing a fan of thin smoke that extends NNE to Kingman and NE to S Sumner counties in KS. Texas: A fire along the East Bay of Chambers county is producing a thin to moderately dense smoke plume that extends N across much of eastern and central Liberty county. The plume is about 5-10km wide. A fire in central Matagorda county has produced puffs of thin smoke that started to move south into the near coastal waters of the GoM with some still seen about 0-5km offshore...but the Seabreeze moved in and now smoke is moving west and NWward across E Jackson and S Wharton counties. California: A fire in the mtns of central San Diego county (west of Anza-Borrego Desert SP) E of Mt. Laguna is producing thin smoke that is moving due East into the deserts of western Imperial county. Montana: Smoke: A fire in central Chouteau county near Vigelle (east of US-87) is producing a line of thin to moderate smoke that is rapidly moving ESE and extends a far as south central Garfield county. The plume is about 25-30km wide and extends about 270km. A fire SE of Wolf Point but in McCone county produced smoke that also rapidly moved ESE into ND, but it is difficult to tell as it is mixed in with sand/dust that is described below. Sand/Dust Storm: Very strong WNW winds SW of a strong shortwave that is currently progressing across E Saskatchewan has kicked up moderately dense sand and dust across a large portion of MT and ND. Thin to moderately dense dust and sand cover clear slot in visible imagery from I-15 to Garfield county, MT. Moderately dense sand and dust can be seen across McCone to Richland counties in MT and McKenzie and Dunn counties in ND. Thinner dust and sand can be seen across McLean and McHenry counties but is moving E to ENE as winds turn toward the WSW behind the cold front associated with the shortwave. Gallina