DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0230Z October 3, 2009
Southwest/Northern Baja California: An area of blowing sand/dust was picked up by the strong winds this evening and was lifting northward towards Imperial county in southern California. Given the current wind flow, the airborne dust/sand will likely also progress into southwest Arizona over the next few hours. The 0045Z GASP product seen here, (http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/FIRE/GASP/AOD-WEST/AOD_0045_US.jpg) began to show the blowing dust just before sunset. Central Plains: Patches of thin remnant smoke with additional smoke from active fires were seen this evening over western Kansas, eastern Colorado, and over the panhandles of Oklahoma and Texas. Western Gulf of Mexico/Southern Texas: An area of thin smoke mixed with haze was still present over parts of the western Gulf of Mexico and deep southern Texas this evening. Some new smoke appears to have originated from the oil rigs in the Bay of Campeche today and is moving to the northwest. Southern California: A large fire sprung to life in southwestern San Bernardino county this evening with the hotspot identified just after 2100Z. This fire began producing a very dense plume of smoke that was being quickly transported to the east across the southern part of the county by strong winds. -Sheffler More information on the areas of smoke described above as well as others can be found at the locations listed below. 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.osdpd.noaa.gov/ml/land/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