DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0000Z JANUARY 13, 2009
Texas/Louisiana: More than 2 dozen fires with smoke visible in satellite imagery were analyzed today especially across eastern and southeastern Texas as well as west central and southern Louisiana. Most of the numerous thin to moderately dense smoke plumes in the region from east central Texas (just east of College Station) to west central Louisiana (just south of Alexandria) were moving in a northward direction. The thickest smoke plume (moderately dense to dense smoke) originated from fires in southern Rapides Parish of west central Louisiana. In southern Louisiana, moderately dense smoke was moving to the west from a fire in southeastern Vermillion Parish. In southeastern Texas, moderately dense smoke fanned out to the east and west as it spread southward and out over the Gulf of Mexico from a fire in southeastern Matagorda County. A bit farther to the south, thin smoke moved primarily to the southeast and eventually offshore from a fire near the border of Victoria and Calhoun counties. Finally, over southern Texas, a fire near the border of Duval and Jim Hogg counties produced a moderately dense smoke plume which moved mainly to the east-southeast, but also spread westward a bit as well. Southwestern to South Central Kansas/North Central to northwestern Oklahoma: An west to east elongated swath of what is believed to be blowing dust of thin density was visible moving to the south along the KS-OK border. This possible area of blowing dust may also contain some suspended blowing snow as well which has been kicked up by very strong northerly winds blowing across the Northern and Central Plains behind a strong cold front. Eastern New Mexico/Western Texas: Behind the same cold front described in the paragraph above, strong northerly winds also appeared to kick up an area of blowing dust of relatively thin density which spread southward from northwestern Texas and east central New Mexico to southeastern New Mexico and southwestern Texas (near Midland) just prior to sunset. JS