DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0230Z April 26, 2016
SMOKE: Central US: A number of thin density smoke plumes were visible in satellite imagery emanating from fires scattered over western Oklahoma, central and eastern Kansas, and southeastern Nebraska, including a few which congealed into a somewhat larger patch of thin density smoke over northeastern Kansas. Some cloudiness in this region though likely interfered with additional smoke information from satellite imagery. Bay of Campeche/Northwestern Gulf of Mexico/Southern and Southeastern Texas/southern Louisiana: A large mass of thin to moderately dense smoke was analyzed spreading to the northwest across the Bay of Campeche into the western and northwestern Gulf of Mexico and just inland over southern and southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana. This smoke was originating from the ongoing seasonal burning occurring over portions of Mexico and Central America. AEROSOL/POSSIBLE SMOKE: Central US to Great Lakes Region: An aerosol was noted late this afternoon and early evening stretching from southern Iowa and Missouri eastward over Illinois and Indiana to at least as far east as southern Michigan and western Ohio. This aerosol is likely composed of at least some leftover smoke from the ongoing seasonal burning occurring over the Central US (particularly Kansas), though other atmospheric pollutants are potentially mixed in as well. DUST: Southwestern US/Northwestern Mexico: A rather significant blowing dust event was underway this afternoon and evening across a broad region stretching from southern California and northern Baja/northwestern Mexico into southwestern Arizona and curving northeastward from there over central and northeastern Arizona. Multiple source points for this blowing dust were seen along the visible swath of dust with the thickest portion (moderately dense) of the dust covering the desert region near and east of the Salton Sea in southern California, far northern Baja and far northwestern Mexico, and southwest to south central Arizona. Another significant area of blowing dust could be seen originating from multiple source regions of northern Mexico (just south of the New Mexico border), southwest and south central New Mexico (including White Sands), and far western Texas (near El Paso). The swath of dust extending northeast from northern Mexico into south central and southeastern New Mexico and far western Texas and the more narrow one emanating from White Sands and extending to the northeast into east central New Mexico appeared to be especially dense. The leading edge of thinner density dust reached into northwestern Texas (north and west of Lubbock) just prior to sunset Weather stations in Albuquerque New Mexico and El Paso Texas both reported blowing dust early this evening in their observations. JS Earlier This Morning... SMOKE Mid Mississippi Valley An area of light density remnant smoke was observed in Mid Mississippi Valley. The full extent of the smoke is unable to be determined due to it being diffuse and mixing with the surrounding cloud coverage. Gulf of Mexico The area of smoke in the Gulf is mainly confined to the southwest portion mostly south of 25N. This is associated with the seasonal agricultural burning in Mexico and Central America. Kemal 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