DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0030Z March 4, 2011
UPDATE Mexico: As the burning season increases in Mexico and Central America, residual smoke continues to accumulate in this region. This evening, a broad area of smoke/haze/dust was seen extending off the southwest Mexican coast, mainly south of 20N and extending well into the east Pacific. An area of remnant smoke from agricultural fires and oil rigs was seen in the southwest Gulf of Mexico in the Bay of Campeche. Finally, an area of blowing dust was observed along the Sonoran coast along the Gulf of California and moving to the south-southeast. North Carolina/South Carolina/Georgia: Several fire were observed in today's satellite imagery across portions of central NC, SC and eastern GA. The majority of these fires were seen producing light-dense smoke plumes although one near Anson country, NC and Richmond country, GA were producing moderately-dense smoke. Most smoke plumes were found to be drifting westward. Texas/Louisiana: Fires burning in LA and TX contributed to some of the larger smoke plumes seen today across the country. Approximately a half dozen to a dozen fires in central LA were producing heavy-dense smoke plumes that were drifting northward towards the LA/AR border. A fire located in a section of western Walker county, TX was producing a long-narrow heavy-dense smoke plume that was also drifting northward. Several other fires were producing light-dense smoke in the deep south of Texas. Warren/Ruminski Previous Discussion... Gulf of Mexico: An area of light aerosol, which is presumed to be remnant smoke, was seen this morning moving westward in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and away from the Florida coast. This can be attributed to the agricultural burning and possibly the wildfires in the southeastern United States. Myrga 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. THE SMOKE TEXT PRODUCT IN GENERAL SHOULD BE SENT TO SSDFireTeam@noaa.gov ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING THESE CHANGES OR THE SMOKE TEXT PRODUCT IN GENERAL SHOULD BE SENT TO SSDFireTeam@noaa.gov