DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0200Z May 27, 2011
Currently: Eastern Seaboard (South Carolina to north of Maine) An area of confirmed light smoke extends north up the coast line extending across eastern South Carolina, central/eastern North Carolina, Virginia and through eastern PA and New York to north of Maine. Smoke source is most likely from wildfires burning across northern Mexico and Central America and recent burning over the southeast. Southern and Eastern Texas/Western Gulf of Mexico: Smoke has moved a little farther north and west across Texas. Smoke is very light in density. J Kibler Earlier Today Southern and Eastern Texas/Western Gulf of Mexico: Another large area of remnant smoke can be seen in this morning and afternoon's satellite imagery stretching from extreme northeastern Mexico into southern Texas and then into the Western Gulf of Mexico. A more moderately dense band of smoke can be seen moving northward through the western Gulf towards southeastern Louisiana. This is all smoke emanating from the numerous fires continuing to burn through northern Mexico and into Central America. Southeast US/Eastern Seaboard: A large area of possible smoke mixed with haze could be seen off the east coast this morning from near South Carolina northward towards the Mid-Atlantic states. Recent burning through the southeastern US as well as large amounts of smoke being transported northward from Mexico and Central America is the likely source for the smoke/haze mixture. Northern Alaska/Northern Territories/Central and Southern Canada/North Central US: Large wildfires continue to burn over northeastern Alberta province in western Canada. Smoke from these fires was spreading to the southeast reaching as far as southern Ontario and portions of central Iowa and into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and and then to the northwest extending across the Northern Territories and Yukon to northern Alaska and the Arctic. A band of moderately dense smoke was also visible within the larger area from northern Alaska southward through Alberta and into eastern Canada and northern Plains in the US. Very dense smoke can be seen in areas of northern British Columbia into Alberta and Saskatchewan. Belge THIS TEXT PRODUCT IS PRIMARILY INTENDED TO DESCRIBE SIGNIFICANT AREAS SMOKE ASSOCIATED WITH ACTIVE FIRES AND SMOKE WHICH HAS BECOME DETACHED FROM THE FIRES AND DRIFTED SOME DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE SOURCE FIRE..TYPICALLY OVER THE COURSE OF ONE OR MORE DAYS. AREAS OF BLOWING DUST ARE ALSO DESCRIBED. USERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO VIEW A GRAPHIC DEPICTION OF THESE AND OTHER PLUMES WHICH ARE LESS EXTENSIVE AND STILL ATTACHED TO THE SOURCE FIRE 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 ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING THIS PRODUCT SHOULD BE SENT TO SSDFireTeam@noaa.gov