Saturday, May 21, 2011

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0300Z May 22, 2011

Canada:
The wildfires in northern Alberta province were still emitting
moderately dense to dense smoke which covered northeastern Alberta,
northern Saskatchewan, and northern Manitoba provinces. A larger area
of thinner smoke surrounded the more dense smoke and extended eastward
almost as far as the Canadian Maritimes.

Western Mexico/Central Baja:
The persistent very thin and elongated area of light, remnant smoke
continues to diminish as it shifts to the south and east over Baja
California and the Gulf of California. The thin band also extends over
part of northwestern Mexico. This smoke was seen moving southward down
the West Coast yesterday and is from the wildfires currently burning
through northern Alberta.

Western Mexico:
Moderately dense to dense smoke continues to spread northeastward from
fires in western Mexico. Some of this smoke neared southwestern Texas
just prior to sunset.

Northeastern Mexico/Gulf of Mexico/South Central US/Southeastern US:
An extremely large mass of what is believed to be primarily smoke covered
northeastern Mexico, and portions of the South Central and Southeastern
US. Embedded moderately dense to even dense smoke was present over
northeastern Mexico, the western Gulf of Mexico, and southern and
southeastern Texas. This huge area of smoke was likely from a number of
sources including seasonal fires over Mexico and Central America as well
as some contribution in the Southeastern US and over the southwestern
Atlantic from fires in southeastern Georgia and eastern North Carolina.

West Central to Northwestern Texas:
A few streaks of thin density blowing dust, originating from sources to
the north of Midland TX, rapidly moved to the northeast nearly reaching
the Red River near the northwestern TX-southwestern OK border.

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.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

 


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.