DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0230Z April 21, 2008

New Mexico and Arizona:
A large fire appeared in western Torrance County, New Mexico, sometime
between 19Z and 20Z.  It is producing a plume of moderate to heavy smoke
that extends eastward, reaching halfway across the Texas panhandle before
nightfall prevented further observation.  A smaller fire in Greenlee
County, Arizona produced light smoke that extended into New Mexico,
but this fire appears to be weakening.

Oklahoma and Kansas:
Fires centered in southern Ellis County, Oklahoma are producing a long
smoke plume of light to moderate smoke that extends northward almost to
the Kansas-Nebraska border.

Arkansas and Missouri:
Fires in Yell, Benton and Pope Counties in Arkansas are producing plumes
of light or moderate smoke that extend primarily northward into southern
Missouri.

Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota:
Several fires in northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin and northwestern
Minnesota are producing plumes of light smoke.  The largest plumes are
from two fires in Minnesota and these extend northward.

Gulf of Mexico:
A mix of smoke from previous days' agricultural burns in Mexico and haze
cover the western Gulf of Mexico.

Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and Nevada:
Blowing dust is seen over most of Utah (and part of western Nevada)
and the dust is moving toward the northeast, reaching into northwestern
Colorado and southern Wyoming.

Unless otherwise indicated:

Areas of smoke are analyzed using GOES-EAST and GOES-WEST Visible satellite imagery.

Only a general description of areas of smoke or significant smoke plumes will be analyzed.

A quantitative assessment of the density/amount of particulate or the vertical distribution is not included.

Widespread cloudiness may prevent the detection of smoke even from significant fires.