DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0200Z March 30, 2017

SMOKE
Gulf of Mexico:
A large area of light remnant smoke from the seasonal burning in Mexico
and Central America was seen lifting north and covering most of the
western portion of the Gulf of Mexico, west of 91W. The smoke was moving
inland over coastal central and western Louisiana but quickly mixed with
clouds prohibiting detection of how far north the smoke extends.

Another area of very light remnant smoke was seen extending from the
western portion of Cuba to the west northwest and slowly moving to
the northwest.

Florida:
Multiple fires in the panhandle were producing light to moderate smoke
that was traveling northeast. There were also several fires in around
Lake Okeechobee producing light amounts of smoke traveling west to south
west to north east.

Mississippi:
Fires in south east Mississippi were producing light to moderate smoke
traveling north east.

Cuba:
Some fires in north Cuba near Havana and Matanzas were producing smoke
that was traveling north west and may impact the Florida Keys.

DUST:
Remnant dust from the large dust storm over west Texas and northern
Mexico last evening was now over far south and east Texas and extending
into Mexico. The dust was mainly behind a line of convection moving to
the coast.

-Westbrook


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

Unless otherwise indicated:

Areas of smoke are analyzed using GOES-EAST and GOES-WEST Visible satellite imagery.

Only a general description of areas of smoke or significant smoke plumes will be analyzed.

A quantitative assessment of the density/amount of particulate or the vertical distribution is not included.

Widespread cloudiness may prevent the detection of smoke even from significant fires.