DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1545Z April 16, 2013
Smoke: South Florida/Eastern Gulf An area of thin smoke is moving within easterly flow across South Florida including Ft. Lauderdale/Miami-Dade/Everglades and the Western Keys into the SE Gulf from just NW of Havana out west to about 87W between 23N-26N. A very narrow N-S line of very thin smoke extends northward along around 83W. This smoke is likely sourced from Mexico/Central America that has rotated around the Subtropical High in the Eastern Atlantic to be once again pulled eastward in the Trades. Western Gulf: Thin to moderate smoke from Mexico and Central America over the last few days continues to race northward covering the entire Western Gulf from 90W westward. This smoke is particularly dense in the Bay of Campeche. Northward extent cannot be fully determined as low level weather clouds cover E Texas/Louisiana/Mississippi and Arkansas. Dust/Sand: Four Corners of US Southwest: Very strong Swly winds are kicking up a large area of moderate dust/sand with numerous appox. 1Km wide parallel bands with very dense conditions...particularly in AZ along the flats/canyon rim SW and NE of the Little Colorado River, from around Tuba City to Winslow; also in the Chinle Valley (particularly SW sources); and in NM along US-491 from Shiprock to Gallup. This dust and sand then covers all of SE Utah and SW Colorado, moving NNE and more N toward the frontal zone across N UT/SW WY, but becomes thinner the further from the sources. 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