DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0300Z MARCH 29, 2006
Kentucky/Tennessee: Moderately dense smoke from a fire in McCreary County of southeastern Kentucky was moving in a southeasterly direction into northeastern Tennessee. Florida: Fires in Jefferson, Hamilton, and Dixie Counties of northern Florida were all emitting moderately dense smoke plumes which moved off to the northeast. The area of leftover smoke seen earlier today off the west coast of Florida had become less distinct in satellite imagery as the afternoon progressed. Arkansas/Missouri: A large number of fires were detected across the southern portion of Missouri and northern and western Arkansas. Smoke was observed moving generally in a southeastward or southward direction from a number of these fires. Rather large and locally dense smoke plumes were seen spreading southward from fires located over Johnson County of northwestern Arkansas as well as near the 4 corner border region of Franklin-Crawford-Madison-Washington Counties also in northwestern Arkansas. Other fires producing significant smoke plumes were noted over the western Arkansas Counties of Scott, Polk, and Yell. Moderately dense smoke plumes moving in a southeasterly direction were seen with fires in Ozark, Howell, Shannon, and Oregon Counties of southern Missouri. Eastern Oklahoma: Numerous fires across eastern Oklahoma were responsible for many smoke plumes which had combined to form several significant batches of smoke by the late afternoon/early evening. The smoke was wrapping in a clockwise direction around a high pressure circulation center also located over eastern Oklahoma. Some of the smoke had spread northward toward the southern and western portions of the Tulsa metro area. Eastern Kansas/Southeastern Nebraska/Northwestern Missouri: This region was also covered by numerous fires but cloudiness moving across the area made smoke detection difficult. As a result only a few relatively small plumes were actually noted in visible imagery. Southern Arizona: A very small patch of what is likely a thin cloud of blowing dust/sand was observed moving in a northeasterly direction toward south central Arizona. The source region was likely over northwestern Mexico. JS