DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1600Z March 23 2017
SMOKE: Southern Florida/Southeastern Gulf of Mexico... Localized moderately dense to thick smoke was visible this morning close to the ongoing wildfire burning in southern Collier County of southwestern Florida. Thinner density leftover smoke from this fire could be seen spreading to the west and southwest and offshore over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico. Northern Florida/Northeastern Gulf of Mexico... A patch of thin density leftover smoke attributed to recent regional fire activity in the Southeast (primarily across southern Georgia and northern Florida) was visible over a portion of northern Florida and the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. DUST: New Mexico... Satellite imagery this morning showed the early stages of a blowing dust event with dust noted spreading northward from White Sands in south central New Mexico. Gusty southerly winds will likely lead to additional blowing dust during the day over a broad region including many of the typical sources for blowing dust in northern Mexico, New Mexico, and western Texas. JS 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