DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0149Z February 24, 2022
SMOKE: Southeastern U.S... Widespread agricultural burning activity was observed throughout the southeastern United States. In the southeastern U.S. numerous fires blanketed the area with light density smoke that included large swaths of moderate density smoke. The burning area starts in southern Mississippi and continues east through the southern portion of the Gulf states, over South Carolina and continuing off the coast over the Atlantic Ocean. Florida... Heavy agricultural burning activity was observed throughout Florida this afternoon. As some cloud cover appeared an area of mostly light density smoke was observed extending west off the entire peninsula over the Gulf of Mexico. In northwestern Florida two mostly moderate to heavy density smoke plumbs were observed moving north with one moving towards and into southern Alabama as evening approached. Oregon... A possible wildfire in southwest Oregon was producing light to moderate density smoke plumb that was moving to the north in direction as evening approached. California... Probable seasonal burning activity in central California was emitting a light to moderate density smoke plumb that appeared to be moving southwest as vied through the clouds. Hispaniola/Caribbean Sea... Scattered wildfire activity continues to be observed in the Southwestern Dominican Republic emitting light to moderate density smoke that was seen progressing southwestward offshore from Hispaniola over the Caribbean Sea. Cuba: Seasonal burning was responsible for numerous light density smoke plumes throughout Cuba creating areas of light smoke over the Caribbean moving southwest off Cuba and south over the Caribbean. SMOKE/AEROSOL: U.S. Gulf Coast, 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, most of the Gulf of Mexico, southeastern Texas, and continuing east over southern Louisiana and off the U.S. Gulf Coast. Heavier areas of smoke were observed around the western Bay of Campeche, Northwestern Central America and the adjacint Pacific Ocean. Smoke from widespread wildfires in northwestern South America may be contributing to these areas of smoke. BLOWING DUST: Southeastern Arizona, New Mexico, Mexico, Texas... An area of moderate density blowing dust with a front that appeared to be lead by heavy density dust was observed moving northeast from northern Mexico, through at least the southern half of New Mexico and into the tip of western Texas and as evening approached. This dust could stretch further north and northeast but cloud cover prevented further analysis. New Mexico... A different area of moderate density blowing dust kicked up from the White Sands National Park in northwest New Mexico, This dust was seen moving north as night approached. 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