DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0145Z May 26, 2006.
Southeast US: Several fires in the Carolina's/Georgia/Alabama are producing relatively light smoke plumes that are mainly moving in a west to northwest direction. Fires along Florida's western coast are also producing small plumes of smoke with the exception of the fire in northern Florida in the vicinity of Cross City which was emitting a moderately dense northeastward moving plume. A fire in Liberty county, in the central panhandle of Florida is producing a moderately dense area of smoke that is being affected by the winds coming off the Gulf of Mexico causing it to move erratically in several directions across several of the surrounding counties. Southwest US: A large wildfire in Hidalgo County in the southwestern corner of New Mexico which flared up significantly during the afternoon is now producing a very dense plume of smoke that is moving to the northeast, traveling through several counties of New Mexico along the way. A fire in Laplata County of southwestern Colorado that has been burning since at least yesterday is producing a moderately dense plume of smoke that is heading northeast. In Washington County of the southwestern corner of Utah there is a fire producing a moderately dense plume of smoke that is also pushing towards the northeast. Alaska: A fire in or near the Aleutian Range in southwestern Alaska is responsible for a moderately dense plume of smoke that is moving in a southeasterly direction out over the Gulf of Alaska. Great Lakes Region/Central Plains/Middle Mississippi Valley: Late afternoon/early evening visible imagery shows patches of haze across the region. In particular, a swath of haze is evident from southern Minnesota to Missouri, along the western portion of a large low pressure system. It is unknown though whether this area still contains any bit of residual smoke from fires from various possible source locations over the past several days. Banks/Simko