DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0300Z July 4, 2011
Southern States/Lower Mississippi River Valley/Central Plains: A large area of light density remnant smoke is present over much of the southern US from about 36 degrees N latitude southward. This smoke is likely days old and has recirculated around several pressure systems. As a result, its origin could possibly be the wildfires in northern Canada, New Mexico, and/or the Southeast US. Canada: Remnant smoke from several wildfires in and immediately around the northeastern corner of Alberta continues to wrap around an area of low pressure centered over Hudson Bay. The moderately dense to dense smoke is observed locally and initially moves to the northeast. The smoke then detaches from its source and is pulled southwest as a light density remnant over northern Manitoba, central Ontario, and western Quebec. Also contributing are 2 large wildfires in western Ontario that are producing locally very dense smoke. The light density smoke is visible as far south as the northern boundary of Lake Superior. Southeastern US/Mid Atlantic: The Honey Prairie wildfire in the Okefenokee Swamp, GA is responsible for much of the light to moderately dense smoke over much of Georgia this evening. The smoke is emitted to the west and is also being pushed southwest over the Florida Panhandle. Locally dense remnant smoke is originating from the Juniper Road fire in Pender County, NC and the Simmons Road fire in Bladen County, NC this evening. Smoke from the former is pushing offshore into the western Atlantic and smoke from the latter is moving both north and south away from the source in NC. Louisiana coast/eastern Texas coast/Gulf of Mexico: Wildfires burning in Cameron Parish, LA are producing moderately dense to dense smoke that is predominantly moving south into the Gulf of Mexico. Some remnant moderately dense smoke is observed in far southeast Texas. Much of the northern Gulf of Mexico is covered with light density remnant smoke from fires in the southeast US and southern Louisiana **DUST** An aerosol of unknown composition, which could possibly be Saharan dust is present in the western Gulf of Mexico off the southern Texas coast. This dust is likely mixed with remnant smoke from wildfires in the southeast US. Ramirez 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