DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0115Z May 12, 2014
Smoke: Gulf of Mexico: A large area of detached smoke extends from the Yucatan Peninsula through the western Gulf into the southern Texas coastline. This area is likely remnant smoke from numerous agricultural burns throughout Central America and Mexico. New Mexico: A fire in southwestern New Mexico is generating dense to moderately dense smoke which is extending to the northeast approaching the Texas state line. Alaska: A wildfire in central Alaska is emitting moderately dense smoke which is moving to the west. Blowing Dust: Southwest and South Central US: A large area of blowing dust extends from the Pacific Coast of southern California and the Baja Peninsula of Mexico northeast through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. The dust originates from numerous sources in southern California, Arizona, New Mexico and northwestern Texas. -Salemi Earlier: SMOKE Western Gulf of Mexico: An area of light smoke from the seasonal agricultural fires in Mexico and Central America was seen extending from Honduras into the Bay of Campeche, reaching as far north as 28N. It is possible that trace amounts of light smoke extend into the Mississippi Valley but the full extent is unclear due to cloud cover. Alaska: Mostly light smoke remains in place over southeast Alaska due to an active wildfire. This smoke is centered between Denali National Park and Tanana Valley State Forest and has not moved much due to a surface high pressure system. BLOWING DUST California/Arizona: An area of moderately dense blowing dust was visible sweeping across northern Baja California/Arizona into western New Mexico behind a strong cold frontal boundary. This remnant dust originated from multiple areas in southern California last evening. Southern Ontario and Quebec/Upper Great Lakes Region: An area of light dust, possibly mixed with remnant smoke, was visible this morning extending from Lake Michigan southeastward across southern portions of Ontario, Quebec, northeastern US, into the Atlantic. Aerosol forecast models suggest that this is dust from Asia which has tracked across the Pacific and Canada. However, there have been numerous agricultural burns in southern Saskatchewan the past few days, likely causing remnant smoke to mix in with the Asian dust. Vogt Miller 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.ospo.noaa.gov/Products/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