DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0230Z MAY 9, 2009
Western Gulf of Mexico/Southeastern Texas/Southern Louisiana: Once again, a large mass of thin to possibly moderately dense smoke was visible moving northward from the Bay of Campeche across the western Gulf of Mexico and into southeastern Texas and southern Louisiana. The smoke was due to the continuing seasonal fires burning across southeastern Mexico and Central America. Farther inland, more aerosol could be seen in visible imagery extending from southern and southwestern Texas to south central and southeastern Oklahoma. It is possible that some of the smoke from the Mexico/Central America fires is present in this region as well. Central to Southern California: A couple of patches of possible blowing dust could be seen just prior to sunset across central and south central California. One area was observed moving southward between Fresno and Bakersfield. The second batch appeared to be moving more to the east between Chino and Twenty-Nine Palms. Graphical information concerning the large moderately dense to dense smoke plume moving primarily to the south from the large wildfire burning near Santa Barbara can be found on the web sites listed below. JS THE FORMAT OF THIS TEXT PRODUCT IS BEING MODIFIED. IT WILL NO LONGER DESCRIBE THE VARIOUS PLUMES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH ACTIVE FIRES. THESE PLUMES ARE DEPICTED IN VARIOUS GRAPHIC FORMATS ON OUR WEB SITE: JPEG: http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/FIRE/hms.html GIS: http://www.firedetect.noaa.gov/viewer.htm KML: http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/FIRE/kml.html THIS TEXT PRODUCT WILL CONTINUE TO DESCRIBE SIGNIFICANT AREAS OF SMOKE WHICH HAVE BECOME DETACHED FROM AND DRIFTED SOME DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE SOURCE FIRE, TYPICALLY OVER THE COURSE OF ONE OR MORE DAYS. IT WILL ALSO STILL INCLUDE DESCRIPTIONS OF BLOWING DUST. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING THESE CHANGES OR THE SMOKE TEXT PRODUCT IN GENERAL SHOULD BE SENT TO SSDFireTeam@noaa.gov