DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0200Z April 21, 2015
SMOKE: Canada/Pac NW/Central Plains: A large plume of light to moderate density smoke is visible moving S/SE from Canada down into the United States this evening. Smoke extends from the Pacific Northwest continuously through the Central Plains before the boundary becomes obscured by clouds Areas affected include: Saskatchewan, Alberta, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma. This remnant smoke originated from Asia and has been traveling across the Pacific into the Pacific NW over the last few days. Moderate density smoke is mainly confined to the Dakotas, eastern Montana, Nebraska, and Missouri. Southwestern Gulf of Mexico: A large area of medium-density smoke is visible in satellite imagery moving northward extending from the Yucatan Peninsula west towards central Mexico. This smoke originates from the dense agricultural burning that has been taking place there as well as oil exploration in the Bay of Campeche. Ramirez/Oegerle 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