DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0200Z April 6, 2017
SMOKE: Gulf of Mexico/Gulf Coast Region...A large mass of thin to moderately dense smoke attributed to the ongoing seasonal burning occurring over portions of Mexico and Central America was present over the Bay of Campeche and much of the central and western Gulf of Mexico. Some of the thinner density smoke may also be present inland over the Central Gulf Coast region though cloudiness in this area limited smoke detection in satellite imagery. DUST: Western Atlantic/Caribbean...A large area of rather significant Saharan dust continued to be visible this morning over the Atlantic, the Windward and Leeward Islands, and the Caribbean generally south of Puerto Rico and Hispaniola. The dust moved overland across northern South America and farther west over Central America and the Yucatan Peninsula. Some of the leading edge of the dust may also have spread to the northwest into the southern and eastern Gulf of Mexico where it merged with the smoke from the fires occurring in Mexico and Central America. Southern Texas/Louisiana/Mississippi/Western Tennessee/Western Gulf of Mexico...Leftover blowing dust from yesterday's event could be seen this evening over southern Texas and the nearby offshore Gulf of Mexico region and extending northeastward from there over Louisiana and Mississippi into western Tennessee. The dust may extend farther to the north, but clouds interfered with detection in that region. Westbrook 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.ospo.noaa.gov/Products/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