DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0055Z April 26, 2010
Smoke: Bay of Campeche/Yucatan Peninsula: Numerous agricultural fires across S Vera Cruz, Tabasco and the Yucatan states of Mexico are producing moderate to dense smoke that is covering all of the Bay of Campeche and Yucatan Peninsula. The smoke is being pulled toward the NE ahead of a frontal boundary the bisects the Gulf of Mexico from NE Florida to Vera Cruz. Most of the NE Gulf near FL is obscured by weather clouds but it is easy to see the smoke being pulled into it. Dust/Sand: Behind the aforementioned frontal zone, a few arcs of suspended dust and sand from likely sources over New Mexico and West Texas yesterday are seen with low/thin density. One arc extends from N Tamulipas across toward the mouth of the Mississippi River. The second band (which was mentioned in this afternoon's smoke text product) is seen in a similar arc shape (bowed with center/nose bulging toward the SE) extends from Vermillion Bay (central LA) back to Corpus Christi, TX. Gallina 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.osdpd.noaa.gov/ml/land/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