DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0030Z JANUARY 23, 2009

South Central and Southeastern US:
An incredible number of fires were analyzed across the region stretching
from eastern Oklahoma, eastern Texas, Arkansas, and Missouri eastward to
South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. Numerous smoke plumes associated
with these fires were also evident in visible satellite imagery. The
most concentrated area of smoke producing fires were across the Florida
panhandle, southern Alabama, and especially Georgia. Most of the smoke
plumes in this region were of thin density and were being blown off to
the northeast. Moderately dense to locally dense smoke was being produced
by fires in Jasper and Jones counties of central Georgia as well as
Bryan County of southeastern Georgia. More moderately dense smoke was
emanating from the fires in southwestern Covington County of southern
Alabama, and Gulf, Liberty, and Franklin counties of the central Florida
panhandle. A bit farther to the west, a moderately dense to dense smoke
plume was fanning out and moving to the northeast from a fire in Stone
County of southeastern Mississippi. More moderately dense to dense smoke
was visible from fires in San Augustine County of eastern Texas as well as
Natchitoches, Grant, and Vernon parishes of west central and north central
Louisiana. In southern Missouri, fires in Shannon and Wayne counties of
southeastern Missouri were emitting moderately dense to locally dense
smoke plumes which were moving to the north-northeast. Finally, over west
central and north central Texas, rapidly developing eastward moving smoke
plumes were detected with fires in Floyd, Jones, and Shackelford counties.

In addition to the smoke plumes described above, a large batch of thin
smoke, most likely at a higher level in the atmosphere, was observed
moving to the east across Alabama and Georgia (including the Atlanta area)
and into southern South Carolina. This smoke was most likely leftover
from yesterday's larger fires over eastern Texas and west central and
north central Louisiana.
JS

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.