DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1602Z April 10, 2013
Smoke: US East Coast: A pocket of moderate smoke can be seen moving E along the E-W oriented warm front from E PA, across NJ into the Atlantic. The most dense area can be seen near 40N68E. This smoke can be traced back to fires across Mexico/Central America, as it has moved northward ahead of the front, increased in elevation then turned eastward along the E-W warm frontal zone (warm conveyor belt). It is very likely there is smoke embedded/underneath the showers/convection across OH/IN/MO/AR/LA attm. Gulf of Mexico: Though difficult to see through breaks in the clouds, the milky appearance of thin to moderately dense smoke from the Yucatan/Honduras fires can be seen moving N and NNW from the TX/LA Gulf Coast back to the Bay of Campeche/Yucatan peninsula, in a wide swath about 5 degrees wide from 95W to 90W. Blowing Dust/Sand: W Texas: A narrow band of dust and sand can be seen moving E and NE across W Texas suspended from sources in N. Chihuahua last night. This band is oriented SSW to NNE from the Rio Grande/Bravo portions of E Chihuahua across teh SW portion of the West Texas Panhandle across Western TX to around Childress, TX/Altus. OK before becoming too difficult to discern due to underlying weather clouds. Unknown aerosol: An area of unknown and thin aerosol can be seen across N AL, running nearly parallel to the interstate I-59 from Tuscaloosa to Birmingham to Gadsen. It is particularly enhanced north of Birmingham as well as increasing in density with time (at a time when sun angle typically leads to decreased aerosol reflectance) giving rise that consistency is pollutants/sulfates/haze. -Gallina THIS TEXT PRODUCT IS PRIMARILY INTENDED TO DESCRIBE SIGNIFICANT AREAS OF 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