DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0245Z May 20, 2012
Northern Mexico/Southern and Central Plains/Mississippi Valley/Great Lakes Region: A very large mass of primarily thin density aerosol covered an area extending from Northern Mexico and the western Gulf of Mexico to at least as far north as the Great Lakes region and southern Ontario Province in Canada. This aerosol was believed to be composed of left over smoke from the larger fires burning in central Arizona and western New Mexico as well as the ongoing seasonal fires in northern and western Mexico. Other contributions to the smoke are due to numerous agricultural fires detected in the lower Mississippi Valley region from eastern Arkansas/western Mississippi to central Louisiana. The smoke from these fires moved to the west and northwest during the afternoon. Finally, it is possible that even some smoke from the Siberian fires is also present in this region. Arizona/New Mexico: Several moderately dense to thick smoke plumes emanated from fires burning in central Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. The smoke from the Arizona fires fanned out as it moved to the south and east while smoke from the New Mexico fires moved more in an easterly direction. Western Canada/Northern Montana: Thin to locally moderately dense remnant smoke from the Siberian fires was detected moving to the east and southeast across eastern British Columbia, Alberta, southern Saskatchewan, and western Manitoba provinces in Western Canada. The leading edge of the smoke was approaching northern Montana and far northwestern North Dakota just prior to sunset. Eastern Canada: Thin density left over smoke was visible through the day moving to the east and northeast across central Quebec Province and the Canadian Maritimes and out over the Atlantic. This left over smoke was also believed to be mainly from the Siberian fires. JS Earlier this Morning... Alaska/Northwest Canada: High-level remnant smoke from large Siberian fires remains over Northwestern Canada and Alaska. The smoke did not appear to be moving very much as it is caught up light upper level flow over the area. Liddick 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