DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0300Z December 20, 2013
Gulf of Mexico: A plume of light density smoke is visible in the NE sector of the Gulf of Mexico moving NW towards the shores of the Florida panhandle, Georgia, and Mississippi into Alabama. The smoke most likely originates from the agricultural burns currently visible in southern Florida surrounding Lake Okeechobee. Remnant smoke over Gulf continued to be visible this evening, while additional smoke moved into the Gulf from active fires over Florida this afternoon and evening. Blowing Dust: Texas: A plume of blowing dust/sand was seen originating near San Fernando, Mexico just south of the southern tip of Texas. Blowing dust/sand was moving northward affecting Texas. Blowing dust began at approximately 1645Z and continued through sunset. Haze: California: A layer of haziness was visible swirling in Central Valley south of San Francisco as well as off shore south and west of San Francisco Bay. Haziness likely consists pollutants such as sulfates and nitrates. LP 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