DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0100Z FEBRUARY 18, 2009
Numerous fires and quite a few smoke plumes were analyzed across the eastern and southeastern U.S. from New Jersey to Florida. Several isolated but very long plumes were also visible over western Oklahoma and southern Kansas. In between these regions, widespread cloudiness greatly hindered fire and smoke detection in satellite imagery across the south central and portions of the southeastern U.S. Gusty westerly winds were also kicking up streaks of blowing dust over the central and south central states. Dust of thin to moderate density in satellite imagery was observed spreading eastward across eastern Colorado, western and central Kansas, and western Oklahoma. Thinner streaks of dust were observed over the eastern half of New Mexico and western Texas. JS THE FORMAT OF THIS TEXT PRODUCT IS BEING MODIFIED. IT WILL NO LONGER DESCRIBE THE VARIOUS PLUMES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH ACTIVE FIRES. THESE PLUMES ARE DEPICTED IN VARIOUS GRAPHIC FORMATS ON OUR WEB SITE: JPEG: http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/FIRE/hms.html GIS: http://www.firedetect.noaa.gov/viewer.htm KML: http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/FIRE/kml.html THIS TEXT PRODUCT WILL CONTINUE TO DESCRIBE SIGNIFICANT AREAS OF SMOKE WHICH HAVE BECOME DETACHED FROM AND DRIFTED SOME DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE SOURCE FIRE, TYPICALLY OVER THE COURSE OF ONE OR MORE DAYS. IT WILL ALSO STILL INCLUDE DESCRIPTIONS OF BLOWING DUST. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING THESE CHANGES OR THE SMOKE TEXT PRODUCT IN GENERAL SHOULD BE SENT TO SSDFireTeam@noaa.gov