DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0230Z December 2, 2011
UPDATE FOR BLOWING DUST IN NEW MEXICO, UTAH AND TEXAS Western US: High winds in the western US are creating areas of blowing dust/sand. The largest area of blowing dust/sand originates southwest of Humboldt State Wildlife Management Area in Nevada and extends south into Inyo County California. Blowing dust/sand also originates from two dry lakes in eastern Nevada southwest of the Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge and travels to the south. Two mines in northern Nevada, near 41N/116W are emitting small areas of blowing dust/sand. It eastern California, blowing dust/sand originates from Honey Lake and moves to the south. In the central California Valley a mix of smoke and blowing dust/sand is drifting south and then west out over the ocean. Near the Mexican border, a large area of blowing dust is caught circulating in the weather system. New Mexico/Texas/Utah/Northern Mexico: An energetic storm system moving through the Southwest US was bringing strong winds and blowing dust to portions of New Mexico. Winds were gusting as high as 57kt at Albuquerque and an area of blowing dust was seen just south of Albuquerque moving to the west into west central New Mexico. Another area of light blowing dust was seen south of the border in northern Chihuahua and this area of dust was moving to the north into Dona Ana and Luna counties. Another area of blowing dust was seen along the lower Rio Grande valley from near McAllen to Laredo Texas and was moving to the northwest. Finally, areas of blowing dust were seen over northwest Utah. One area was moving to the west-southwest across northern portions of the Great Salt Lake. Another was moving to the south across the Great Salt Lake Desert and the Dugway Proving Ground. -Salemi/Ruminski Earlier: Southeastern Texas/Western Gulf of Mexico: Remnant smoke plume could be seen in this morning's visible satellite drifting toward the southwest across the western Gulf of Mexico. Several fires burning in southern Louisiana during at least the past couple of days are responsible for the area of thinly dense smoke. Warren 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