Thursday, May 26, 2011

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1730Z May 26, 2011

Southern and Eastern Texas/Western Gulf of Mexico:
Another large area of remnant smoke can be seen in this morning and
afternoon's satellite imagery stretching from extreme northeastern Mexico
into southern Texas and then into the Western Gulf of Mexico. A more
moderately dense band of smoke can be seen moving northward through the
western Gulf towards southeastern Louisiana. This is all smoke emanating
from the numerous fires continuing to burn through northern Mexico and
into Central America.


Southeast US/Eastern Seaboard:
A large area of possible smoke mixed with haze could be seen off the
east coast this morning from near South Carolina northward towards the
Mid-Atlantic states. Recent burning through the southeastern US as well
as large amounts of smoke being transported northward from Mexico and
Central America is the likely source for the smoke/haze mixture.

Northern Alaska/Northern Territories/Central and Southern Canada/North
Central US:
Large wildfires continue to burn over northeastern Alberta province in
western Canada. Smoke from these fires was spreading to the southeast
reaching as far as southern Ontario and portions of central Iowa and into
the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and and then to the northwest extending
across the Northern Territories and Yukon to northern Alaska and the
Arctic. A band of moderately dense smoke was also visible within the
larger area from northern Alaska southward through Alberta and into
eastern Canada and northern Plains in the US. Very dense smoke can be
seen  in areas of northern British Columbia into Alberta and Saskatchewan.


BLOWING DUST IN THE UNITED STATES:
Western and Central Texas:
Blowing dust mixed with smoke from nearby fires was visible moving
eastward across eastern New Mexico and western Texas this morning and
could have been generated near White Sands, NM.

Belge


THIS TEXT PRODUCT IS PRIMARILY INTENDED TO DESCRIBE SIGNIFICANT
AREAS SMOKE ASSOCIATED WITH ACTIVE FIRES AND SMOKE WHICH HAS BECOME
DETACHED FROM THE FIRES AND DRIFTED SOME DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE SOURCE
FIRE..TYPICALLY OVER THE COURSE OF ONE OR MORE DAYS. AREAS OF BLOWING DUST
ARE ALSO DESCRIBED. USERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO VIEW A GRAPHIC DEPICTION OF
THESE AND OTHER PLUMES WHICH ARE LESS EXTENSIVE AND STILL ATTACHED TO
THE SOURCE FIRE 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
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING THIS PRODUCT SHOULD BE SENT TO
SSDFireTeam@noaa.gov

 


Unless otherwise indicated:
  • Areas of smoke are analyzed using GOES-EAST and GOES-WEST Visible satellite imagery.
  • Only a general description of areas of smoke or significant smoke plumes will be analyzed.
  • A quantitative assessment of the density/amount of particulate or the vertical distribution is not included.
  • Widespread cloudiness may prevent the detection of smoke even from significant fires.