DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1745Z MAY 17, 2009
Bay of Campeche: Fires over the Yucatan Peninsula generated a large area of light smoke that covered the Bay of Campeche. East Pacific: Residual smoke from fires in southern Mexico generated light smoke which extended from the Gulf of Tehuantepec westward along the Mexican states of Oaxaca and Guerrero. Gulf of California: Numerous fires along western portions of the Sierra Madre and coastal plain produced an area of light smoke that covered portions of southern Sonora, north central Sinaloa and adjacent waters of the Gulf of California. Ontario and Great Lakes: An area of haze of unknown origin and composition was detected moving south east through south central Ontario into the northern Great Lakes. 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