DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0300Z May 22, 2011
Canada: The wildfires in northern Alberta province were still emitting moderately dense to dense smoke which covered northeastern Alberta, northern Saskatchewan, and northern Manitoba provinces. A larger area of thinner smoke surrounded the more dense smoke and extended eastward almost as far as the Canadian Maritimes. Western Mexico/Central Baja: The persistent very thin and elongated area of light, remnant smoke continues to diminish as it shifts to the south and east over Baja California and the Gulf of California. The thin band also extends over part of northwestern Mexico. This smoke was seen moving southward down the West Coast yesterday and is from the wildfires currently burning through northern Alberta. Western Mexico: Moderately dense to dense smoke continues to spread northeastward from fires in western Mexico. Some of this smoke neared southwestern Texas just prior to sunset. Northeastern Mexico/Gulf of Mexico/South Central US/Southeastern US: An extremely large mass of what is believed to be primarily smoke covered northeastern Mexico, and portions of the South Central and Southeastern US. Embedded moderately dense to even dense smoke was present over northeastern Mexico, the western Gulf of Mexico, and southern and southeastern Texas. This huge area of smoke was likely from a number of sources including seasonal fires over Mexico and Central America as well as some contribution in the Southeastern US and over the southwestern Atlantic from fires in southeastern Georgia and eastern North Carolina. West Central to Northwestern Texas: A few streaks of thin density blowing dust, originating from sources to the north of Midland TX, rapidly moved to the northeast nearly reaching the Red River near the northwestern TX-southwestern OK border. JS 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