DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0100Z April 17, 2011
Southeast US/Gulf of Mexico/Atlantic Coast: An area of moderately dense smoke extends eastward across the entire Gulf of Mexico and has moved into western Florida. Lighter smoke is seen moving across central/eastern Florida and into the Atlantic and along the east coast. It also extends across southeast Alabama, southern/central Georgia and southern South Carolina. The smoke is in conjunction with the movement of a frontal boundary. Northeast Mexico/Texas/Louisiana: A tremendous amount of smoke is stretching across the entire state of Texas as wildfires continue to burn in west Texas and other fires along the Gulf Coast and northern sections of the state. Moderately dense to dense smoke spreads across a large section of western Texas, the Panhandle and along the Gulf Coast. Lighter smoke extends from central to eastern Texas and is moving east into western Louisiana. There are some pockets of moderately dense smoke in central Texas. Central Plains: Airborne dust particles seen in Nebraska/eastern Kansas/eastern Oklahoma/northeast Texas/Arkansas/north Louisiana/and Mississippi this morning has moved into parts of Iowa, Missouri, Tennessee and Alabama. Although its getting more difficult to see as the dust particles have become very light. Southern California/Baja California: A large area of aerosol believed to be dust that traveled from east Asia could still be seen off the southern California coast and west of Baja California. This area is moving south along the coastline. Kansas/Missouri: Numerous fires (most likely ag burns) burning across central/eastern Kansas are producing light smoke. The smoke is combining to make a small pocket of smoke extending across eastern Kansas and western Missouri. Western Mexico (east of Baja California/Gulf of California) Numerous dust plumes between 30.18N/28.27N and 110W/111W can be seen moving east NE across western/northern Mexico. The dust is moderately thick. J Kibler 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