DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0045Z April 7, 2013

Western Gulf of Mexico:
Patches of light smoke were observed over portions of the western Gulf
of Mexico this evening from the Bay of Campeche northward to a position
just off the coast from Brownsville Texas. The smoke was originating
from the seasonal agricultural burning in Central America.

Texas/Louisiana:
A pair of fires generated smoke plumes that moved to the north away from
the fires in east Texas and western Louisiana. The smoke in east Texas
had nearly reached the confluence of the Texas/Arkansas/Oklahoma borders
by sunset while the smoke from the Louisiana fire had reached the north
central portion of the state near the Arkansas border.

North Carolina:
A fire near Wilmington in south coastal North Carolina had a plume
of smoke extending to the west that just crossed into South Carolina
by sunset.

Blowing dust:
Texas:
A small area of blowing dust was observed over far south Texas and moving
north. The source of this dust appeared to primarily be just south of
the border.

Eastern Pacific:
An area of long range blowing dust from Asia has crossed much of the
Pacific and appears to be poised to move into northern California and
southern Oregon overnight. The dust was difficult to discern as it was
embedded in a mass of clouds associated with a frontal system between
40-45N.

Ruminski

THIS TEXT PRODUCT IS PRIMARILY INTENDED TO DESCRIBE SIGNIFICANT AREAS
OF 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.