DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0115Z May 26, 2010
Great Lakes Region/Ontario/Quebec/Northern New England: A large mass of aerosol was observed under the large upper level high pressure ridge axis extending from the lower Great Lakes northward into Ontario. The aerosol then extended southeastward across southern Quebec into northern New England. Apart from dense smoke moving north northeastward from a fire in western Ontario, it is not known if the aerosol is composed of any residual smoke. Gulf of Mexico: A distinct large patch of aerosol was visible through the day moving west across the north central Gulf of Mexico. Smoke from a significant fire in the Florida Panhandle yesterday may be contributing to this aerosol, though it is not known how much smoke is present there. Central US: A swath of aerosol, which is likely partially composed of smoke and possibly even blowing dust, stretches from Texas northward to the Central and Northern Plains. Smoke from the seasonal fires burning in Mexico and Central America may have been drawn northward and could be present in these areas. Additionally, large fires in southern New Mexico and northern New Mexico (near the Colorado border) are producing large smoke plumes which are moving in a northeastward direction and are merging with the band of aerosol over the Plains. 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