DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0102Z APRIL 18, 2006.
Central Plains (Kansas/Oklahoma/Nebraska/Missouri): A large amount of fire activity over eastern Kansas and to a lesser extent over Oklahoma/Nebraska/Missouri was producing a rather large smoke plume this evening that covered most of eastern Kansas. The smoke plume was moving on a west/northwest heading and was seen approaching south central Nebraska towards sunset. The densest portion of the plume appeared to be associated with the concentrated fire activity over Osage and Lyon counties in eastern Kansas. Fire activity over Osage and Pawnee counties in northern Oklahoma was producing another dense smoke plume that was lifting north towards sunset and was joining the composite smoke plume over southeast Kansas. Texas/Louisiana: Scattered fire activity over the region was producing isolated smoke plumes with most lifting northeast. At sunset it appeared as though the best smoke plume was associated with a fire over Sabine county in eastern Texas with the plume extending through northwest Louisiana towards Red River and Natchitoches parishes. A fire just across the Rio Grande river of Webb county was producing a moderately dense smoke plume that was seen lifting northwest along the Rio Grande towards Maverick/Dimmit counties. Arizona/New Mexico/Colorado: Vigorous storm system over the central and northern Rockies was helping to kick up significant amounts of dust this evening over the Painted Desert in Arizona and over the Great Sand Dunes of Colorado. At sunset the leading edge of the dust from the Painted Desert was as far northeast as central Colorado and north central New Mexico while the dust from the Great Sand Dunes was as far east as axis between Akron and Limon, Colorado. Hanna