DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0200Z January 15, 2022
SMOKE: Southeastern U.S… Numerous light density smoke plumes, along with a couple isolated moderate density smoke plumes, of agricultural burning origin were observed from Alabama to south Florida and North Carolina. Nearly all smoke plumes were moving southeastward, aside from one or two near Mobile Bay that were moving south-southwestward. Scattered to broken cloud cover moved in during the latter half of the day across portions of the Alabama and Georgia, partly obscuring the view and analysis of smoke. There is likely at least a little more smoke present across these areas than is analyzed due to this cloud cover. Lower Mississippi Valley and the western Gulf Coast… Just as was seen across the southeastern CONUS, numerous light to moderate density smoke plumes were observed from south Texas into eastern Louisiana this afternoon. However, the smoke from these fires was generally moving north-northeast or northeast. Scattered to broken clod cover moved in here as well, at least partly obscuring the view of Oklahoma, Mississippi, northern Louisiana, Arkansas, and northeastern Texas. There is likely at least a little more smoke present across these areas than is analyzed due to this cloud cover. Northern Gulf of Mexico… A sizable W-E elongated area of light remnant smoke was observed over the northern Gulf of Mexico. This is likely a result of burning across the Southeastern CONUS over the past couple days. The remnant smoke was seen drifting northeastward. Hispaniola/Cuba… Light to moderate density smoke from agricultural burning was observed across Cuba, the Isle of Youth, and Hispaniola, as was moderate density smoke from a wildfire in southern Dominican Republic. Much of the smoke across Cuba and the Isle of Youth was seen moving south, while smoke over Hispaniola was observed moving east then east-northeast. SMOKE/AEROSOL: Southern and Southwestern Mexico/Northern Central America/Eastern Pacific Ocean... Large regions of smoke and other aerosols from gas and oil flaring as well as other industrial pollutants were observed into this afternoon. Light density smoke was observed over most of coastal Southern and Southwestern Mexico as well as inland over parts of Southern Mexico, Northern Central America, and well offshore from Southern and Southwestern Mexico over the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Cloud cover over parts of Central America, the Western Gulf of Mexico, and the Southern Bay of Campeche made smoke analysis in these regions difficult this morning. BLOWING DUST: Central/Southern Plains… A cold front moved through the central Plains and into ths southern Plains this afternoon and has left a dust storm in its wake across western Kansas, southeastern Colorado, far eastern New Mexico, western Oklahoma, and north western Texas. The dust appears to be lofting from western Kansas and eastern Colorado and is being blown south-southwestward across eastern New Mexico and the western North Texas Panhandle to southward across the rest of the dust storm. Cloud cover obscures the exact northward and southward extent of this dust storm. Hosley 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/data/land/fire/currenthms.jpg GIS: ftp://satpsanone.nesdis.noaa.gov/FIRE/HMS/GIS/ KML: http://www.ospo.noaa.gov/data/land/fire/fire.kml (fire) http://www.ospo.noaa.gov/data/land/fire/smoke.kml (smoke) ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING THIS PRODUCT SHOULD BE SENT TO: SSDFireTeam@noaa.gov