DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0215Z May 25, 2008
New Mexico/Colorado: A fire that started this afternoon in eastern Colfax county in northeast New Mexico has a plume of moderate to locally dense smoke extending to the northeast into southeast Colorado reaching southern Bent and western Baca counties by sunset. Northern Canada: A broad area of smoke was seen covering much of the north central Canada, including northern Alberta, northern Saskatchewan, northern Manitoba, eastern Northwest Territories and western Nunavut. This smoke area has gradually been drawn into the circulation of a large western US cyclone and is moving to the southwest into central Alberta along the British Columbia border. The source of this smoke is likely large fires burning in eastern Russia. Gulf of Mexico and US Gulf Coast: An area of thin to moderately thick smoke from fires burning in Mexico and Central America was seen over the western Gulf stretching from the Bay of Campeche northward to just off the Texas coast where it becomes more diffuse. Some smoke may also extend further north into Texas and Oklahoma. Another area of thin to moderately thick smoke was seen over the eastern Gulf from the southeast Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida Panhandle coasts southward to about 25N. Florida: A narrow plume of thin smoke was seen extending to the west from the long burning fire on the western shore of Lake Okeechobee and reaching just into north central Hendry county. Mexico: A broad area of thin to moderately dense smoke was seen over much of southwest Chihuahua and western Durango states in Mexico, the result of numerous fires in western Mexico in southwest Chihuahua, western Durango and Sinaloa states. The smoke was swirling around in the area with some smoke also moving to the northeast toward the Big Bend area. Ruminski