DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0202Z February 22, 2022
SMOKE: New Jersey, New York... Seasonal burning was responsible for numerous light density smoke plumbs in New Jersey that formed an area of smoke that was approaching New York City and Long Island as evening approached. Cuba: Seasonal burning was responsible for numerous light to moderate density smoke plumbs throughout Cuba creating areas of light smoke over the Caribbean moving northwest of Cuba and south of Cuba. Hispaniola/Cuba/Jamaica/Caribbean Sea/Southeastern Bahamas... Wildfires continue to be observed in the Southwestern Dominican Republic emitting light to moderate density smoke progressing southwestward offshore from Hispaniola over the Caribbean Sea. SMOKE/AEROSOL: U.S. Gulf Coast, Florida, Bay of Campeche/Gulf of Mexico/Mexico/Northwestern Central America/Pacific Ocean South of Mexico and Central America... The combination of thin density smoke from seasonal fires in Mexico and Central America and other atmospheric pollutants including aerosols from oil and gas flaring and other industries in the region was visible today over southern western and eastern Mexico, northwestern Central America, a sizable portion of the Pacific off the southern coast of Mexico and Central America, the Bay of Campeche, the Gulf of Mexico, continuing east over the U.S. Gulf Coast into the Florida peninsula. Heavier areas of smoke were observed around the western Gulf of Mexico and Northwestern Central America. Smoke from widespread wildfires in northwestern South America may be contributing to these areas of smoke. BLOWING DUST: Southeastern New Mexico/Western Mexico/Texas... An area of moderate density blowing dust was observed moving northeast from northern Mexico, through Southeastern New Mexico and into western Texas and as evening approached. This dust could stretch further northeast but cloud cover prevented further analysis. California, Nevada, Arizona... An area of light density blowing dust with some moderate swaths was observed generally moving east from southeastern California, through the Southern tip of Nevada and into western Arizona as evening approached. This dust could stretch further north and east but cloud cover prevented further analysis. Eglin 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 map: https://www.ospo.noaa.gov/data/land/fire/currenthms.jpg Smoke data: https://satepsanone.nesdis.noaa.gov/pub/FIRE/web/HMS/Smoke_Polygons Fire data: https://satepsanone.nesdis.noaa.gov/pub/FIRE/web/HMS/Fire_Points ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING THIS PRODUCT SHOULD BE SENT TO: SSDFireTeam@noaa.gov