DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1402Z May 31, 2013
***PLEASE NOTE: GOES-13 has been replaced with GOES-14. GOES-14 is centered at 00N105W which is 30 degrees further west than GOES-13. This position has an impact on the ability to detect smoke, particularly light smoke in the evening, compared to GOES-13. It is possible that areas of light smoke that would be detected previously are now not discernible.*** Haze/Pollutants/Mixed Smoke: Northeast US/Atlantic Seaboard A large area of very milky conditions to moderately dense conditions exist over the US Northeast; particularly offshore between NJ and Cape Cod (and points eastward). This area clearly has a mixed aerosol consistency but also has entrained smoke from the Mexican/Northern Central American agricultural fires. Across E OH, Lake Erie, SE Ontario, Lake Ontario and E MI, smoke appears to be moving more N and NE-ward and has a higher elevation, but is very light in density but also gives higher confidence in predominance of smoke over other aerosols. E NY, VT, NH, DownEast ME, MA, CT, RI and NJ have a eastward motion and a much higher density of haze/smoke. It is clear that this area is also much lower in altitude than further east. Of course, it is impossible to determine chemical/particulate concentrations within this area from GOES sources alone, but density offshore of NJ to Cape Cod is moderate to dense and likely Long Island itself has a significant air quality issue today. Desert SW (CA, AZ, NM): Smoke from Wildfires in this area are attached to sources; so please see graphic/GIS for further information. Dust/Sand: Lower Missouri/Upper Mississippi River Valley: Dust and sand from sources in SW KS and E CO last night can be seen wrapped up in the SW flow/dry slot SE of the cyclone in SD and continues to move NE. This area currently covers a large portion of SW MN south of St. Cloud to MSP; All of IA except extreme NW; SE Nebraska from just north of Omaha to Beatrice and Fairbury; and the Eastern half of KS into MO (where it is too cloudy to be sure where the dust/sand line ends). Oklahoma/Texas: Loose soils/sand across the Northern Texas Panhandle (north of Canadian Valley) and just north of Lubbock, TX are being kicked up again this morning on strong West winds. These plumes are moving due East into NW OK and SW OK(along Red River) where it begins to mix/be unable to differentiate with blowing dust/sand (and likely suspended from last night too) across all of OK. So the consistency becomes moderately dense east of a line from Enid, to Clinton, to Hobart to Altus and into the northern line of counties in TX. Though motion is generally due east there is a slight southward motion in the low levels with numerous gravity waves/undular bore seen/enhanced by the dust/sand. Gallina 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