Saturday, May 6, 2017

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1830Z May 6, 2017

SMOKE:
Florida/Georgia...
The West Mims fire was reinvigorated today with lower humidity and gusty
winds which resulted in greater smoke generation. A plume of moderately
dense to dense smoke extended east from the fire along the Florida/Georgia
border in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge across the Jacksonville
area and into the Atlantic. Another wildfire in Pasco county north of
Tampa was producing moderately dense smoke which also extended to the
east across nearly the width of Florida to the east coast.

Southwest and northern Mexico...
Several wildfires burning in northwest Mexico in Sonora and Chihuahua
states and in southeast Arizona continue to burn this evening and produce
smoke plumes which extend to the north northeast.

Northern and Central Plains...
Numerous agricultural and prescribed fires with mostly small. Localized
light smoke plumes were seen this afternoon and evening over western
Minnesota, the eastern Dakotas, Kansas and Oklahoma.

DUST:
California/Arizona...
A potent storm system developing over the Southwest had strong winds
associated with it which were generating areas of significant blowing
dust. An area of moderate to dense dust was detected sweeping eastward
across far southern California into Arizona. Southerly winds ahead of
this area of dust were kicking up a broad area of light to moderate
dust over much of southern Arizona and part of northern Sonora. This
dust was moving to the north. One particular plume that was more dense
was originating from the Willcox Playa in southeast Arizona. This plume
extended to the north northeast to the New Mexico border.

Nevada...
Cloud cover prevented dust detection in most of Nevada. However, surface
observations indicate that there was at least some blowing dust over
western Nevada  due to strong winds associated with the storm system.

Ruminski


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.