DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0200Z March 8, 2011
Significant dust/sand storms: Large upper level low continues to move across the Four-corners region of the US Southwest. Associated strong southwesterly winds are affecting sfc sand/dust sources across SE Arizona, S New Mexico, Western Panhandle of Texas, and Northern Chihuahua. On the backside of the low, an equally strong jet streak out of the W and NW is affecting sand/dust sources across Nevada and Baja California. Further details: Nevada: Strong Nwly winds are kicking up moderate to dense sand and dust prodominantly from the dry lakes east of the Silver Peak Range in central Esmeralda county and blowing it as far SSE the Inyo/San Bernadino eastern boarder and far S Nye county likely leading to difficult driving conditions across US-95...sand was just about to blow into far Western Clark county, NV. Smaller contributions of thin to moderate sand/dust could be seen blowing from dry lakes west of the Silver Peak Range and Eureka Dunes of northern Death Valley Nat'l Park. Baja California/N Sea of Cortez: Strong winds on the SW side of the upper level low were out of the WNW hitting the ridge of the Sierra de Juarez of NE Baja California in NW Mexico. The leeward side desert consequently was the source of moderate sand and dust that was pulled E to ESE across the Northern Sea of Cortez covering the northern 100-150km of the Sea and across to the western coast of Sonora north of 30N. SE AZ/S NM/W TX/N Chihuahua: Very strong sfc winds across the deserts of along the US/Mexico boarder have produced a very large area of moderate to dense sand, covering all of the Southern line of counties in NM, N Chihuahua (north of 30N) and the counties of El Paso, Hudspeth, Culberson, Reeves and likely Loving, Winkler, Ward and Jeff Davis in West Texas. Sources of this dense sand include many of the salt/dry deserts of N Chihuahua, the salt flat near Dos Cabezas in Cochise county AZ, the white sand desert near Ojo de Agua in NE Sonora, Mexico, and nearly all dry lakes/deserts in S New Mexico including White Sands and Playas Lake. 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. THE SMOKE TEXT PRODUCT IN GENERAL SHOULD BE SENT TO SSDFireTeam@noaa.gov ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING THESE CHANGES OR THE SMOKE TEXT PRODUCT IN GENERAL SHOULD BE SENT TO SSDFireTeam@noaa.gov