DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0137Z March 15, 2022
SMOKE: Southeastern U.S... Widespread agricultural burning activity was observed throughout the southeastern United States. Throughout the area numerous fires blanketed the area with light density smoke that included large areas of moderate smoke and some swaths of heavy density smoke. The burning areas producing smoke starts in eastern Louisiana, continues east through the Gulf states and ends in eastern North Carolina. More smoke is likely under cloud cover west of Louisiana and over Florida. Central U.S... An area of light density smoke was visible through the clouds moving southeast. The source for this smoke could be from recent heavy burning in the area and some seasonal burning observed today. Arizona... A probable wildfire in southeastern Arizona was emitting a plumb of moderate density smoke which was moving south in directions evening approached. SMOKE/AEROSOL: Texas, Gulf of Mexico/Bay of Campeche/Southern and Eastern Mexico/Central America/Pacific Ocean Well South of Mexico and Central America… A mass of remnant thin to moderate density smoke mixed with aerosols from oil and gas flaring and other industrial sources in Mexico was visible today over the southern Texas, portions of the Gulf of Mexico, western Bay of Campeche, southern and eastern Mexico, Central America, and extending well to the south over the Pacific Ocean off the southern coast of Mexico and Central America. Moderately dense smoke/aerosol mixture was seen especially along and off the coast of southeastern Mexico and Guatemala over the Pacific and from southeastern Mexico to over the Bay of Campeche. The smoke over this large area was due to the widespread seasonal burning in Mexico and Central America. BLOWING DUST: Southeastern New Mexico/Northern Mexico/Texas... An area of generally moderate density blowing dust was observed moving south-southeast from southeastern New Mexico, northern Mexico, and northern/western Texas as evening approached. This dust could stretch further east but cloud cover precluded 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