DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 2345Z APRIL 21, 2006.
Gulf of Mexico: A large area of thin smoke and haze can be seen over the eastern Gulf of Mexico extending N from multiple agricultural burns across Cuba (especially western and southern Cuba) over the last few days. The plume is on average is 90km wide on either side of a line from 27.5N87W to 25.5N86.7W to 24N84W to the Cuban coastline near Havana, Cuba to Matanzas, Cuba. This area is mostly moving NW, except at the northern 100km of the line where influence from an approaching front has lead to more northerly movement with some northeasterly movement at the extereme northern extent of the smoke area. A very large area of thin to moderately dense smoke and haze can be seen covering nearly all of the Western Gulf of Mexico and all of the Bay of Campeche. This is mostly from persistent multiple agricultural fires across most of SE Mexico in the states of Yucatan, Tabasco, Campeche, N Chiapas and Quintana Roo as well as the Northern extent of Guatemala. The moderately dense smoke is concentrated over all of the Bay of Campeche south of 22N and west of 92W. A small pocket of thinner smoke/haze with some clear patches is located over extreme SW Bay of Campeche near 19N95W or coastal waters between Punta Anton Lizardo and Punta San Juan. This smoke extends further N covering all of the states of Veracruz and Tamaulipas as well as S Texas a far N as 26N or Corpus Christi, TX. The thin area is "blocked" by an approaching front which is sagging south slowly. The thin smoke then extends to the east, south of the front to about 92W, which is the eastern boundary for the smoke until the aforementioned moderate area of smoke begins. Florida: A very small pocket of smoke that was visible early this morning has mixed well with thunderstorms that have developed across northern FL. The smoke was aloft and moving east and covered the following counties: Levy, Citrus, Alachua, Marion and Putnam. Nebraska: A fire near Loup City in Sherman county is producing moderate smoke that extends 22km to the east into Howard county with an average width of 9km. A puff of thin smoke from a fire near Edgar in Clay and Sedan in Nuckolls county has moved to the east. The puff is about 18km long by 8km wide and is currently near Shickley in Fillmore county. A puff of thin smoke from a fire near Carelton in Thayer county and Carlisle in Fillmore county has moved to the east. The puff is about 25km long and 12km wide and is currently near Daykin in Jefferson county. Kansas: Thin smoke from numerous agricultural fire across NE KS is currently moving E and covers the following counties: Pottawatomie, Wabaunsee, Geary, Jackson, Shawnee, Osage, Franklin, Douglas, Jefferson, Leavenworth, and Miami counties. Oklahoma: A fire near Wann in N Nowata county is producing moderate smoke that is expanding in fan from E to SE...which has nearly covered the county of Nowata (except the far SW portions). Gallina