DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0245Z April 14, 2011
Gulf of Mexico: Smoke from the ongoing seasonal fires burning in Mexico and Central America Continues to spread northward into the central and western Gulf of Mexico. Some of this smoke has likely moved inland over southern Louisiana and southern and southeastern Texas although cloudiness interfered with determining the full extent of the smoke. More smoke also stretched to the east across the southeastern Gulf of Mexico and southern Florida to at least as far east as the Bahamas. Southeastern US: Many smoke producing fires were analyzed today across the Southeastern US with the greatest concentration over southwestern Georgia and the Florida panhandle. South Central and Central US: Remnant moderately dense to even locally dense smoke leftover from yesterday's fires in the Central Plains moved little during the day hanging over the region stretching from west central Missouri to western Iowa. Thinner smoke extended even farther to the north reaching eastern Nebraska, southern Minnesota, and western Wisconsin. Many more seasonal fires were again detected during the day across eastern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma which produced an area of thin to moderately dense smoke which moved to the north during the afternoon. Farther to the southeast, a number of individual moderately dense to locally dense smoke plumes were visible from fires over eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, and southern Missouri. Finally, several fires were analyzed across Texas during the day, but extensive cloudiness prevented smoke detection in satellite imagery. However, it is believed that significant smoke was likely still being produced by a few of the fires in west central and southwestern Texas. Clouds also interfered with smoke detection from the ongoing huge fires burning in north central Mexico. Only a small glimpse of the smoke occurred through breaks in the clouds. Southwestern and Western US: An area of what is believed to be dust transported across the Pacific from Asia was visible moving into a good portion of California as well as southern Oregon late in the day. More blowing dust was observed inland across southeastern California, southern Nevada, northwestern Arizona, and southern Utah. The sources for this blowing dust were believed to be regional. Farther to the southeast, blowing dust was visible moving to the northeast from White Sands in south central New Mexico and from sources just south of the New Mexico border in northern Mexico. JS Earlier Today... Midwest: Moderate smoke is visible over central Missouri and Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. This smoke is likely from the numerous agricultural burns in the Midwest during the past few days, specifically Kansas. Also, the numerous wildfires in Texas may have contributed to the smoke/atmospheric aerosol around the Metroplex. Arkansas: Several areas of light smoke are present on visible satellite imagery in Arkansas. An aerosol, which is believed to be remnant smoke, is moving eastward along the Arkansas/Louisiana border and another is moving eastward through the Ozarks. Gulf of Mexico: Remnant smoke continues to be present in the Gulf of Mexico. Smoke extends from a line from Fort Myers, FL to Lake Charles, LA and points to the south and west. Only the northeastern corner of the Gulf of Mexico appears smoke/aerosol free on visible satellite imagery. The numerous agricultural burns along the Gulf Coast and Central America/Mexico are believed to be the source of this smoke. Myrga 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