DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0115Z March 26th, 2013
Texas/Louisiana Gulf Coast and Gulf of Mexico: Several fires over southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana have generated smoke plumes that moved to the south and some of them have moved off the coast into the Gulf. The area of light remnant smoke noted below over the southern Gulf and northwest Caribbean is not evident in satellite imagery this evening due to extensive cloud cover, although it is likely that the smoke is still in the area. A very light area of aerosol extended from east to west across the northern Gulf of Mexico approximately 175km south of the coast. It crossed the Florida peninsula near the Tampa area. The aerosol type is uncertain but may be remnant blowing dust from a dust storm in West Texas two evenings ago or could be remnant smoke from the agricultural burning in Central America. Ruminski Previous Discussion: Gulf of Mexico: An area of light remnant smoke was visible across the southern-most portion of the Gulf of Mexico this morning. The smoke extended across southern Mexico/Guatemala northeastward into southern Florida, elongated along and ahead of the cold frontal boundary dropping southward out of the Gulf. It is possible that some remnant dust/aerosols were partially mixed into this area as well. -Vogt- 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