Sunday, April 22, 2018

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0300Z April 23, 2018

SMOKE:
Gulf of Mexico/Bay of Campeche...
A large region of thin density aerosol which is likely composed of smoke
from seasonal fires occurring over portions of Mexico and Central America
and smoke from oil rig flaring in the Bay of Campeche covered much of the
Bay of Campeche and extended to the north and northeast over a portion
of the western and central Gulf of Mexico. It is not known if any of the
smoke extended into the Southeastern US due to cloud cover in the region.

Western Texas...
The leading edge of thinner density smoke from a large fire in north
central Mexico spread quickly to the east reaching into western Texas
between El Paso and the Big Bend region.

Central US...
Many fires were detected across the area stretching from eastern Nebraska
across Iowa to southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois though little
smoke was visible due to interference from thinner clouds moving over the
area. Farther to the south and southeast, significant cloudiness from
a large storm system prevented fire and smoke detection in satellite
imagery.

South Central Canada...
A cluster of fires in southern Manitoba of south central Canada resulted
in a swath of thin to moderate density smoke which moved quickly to the
east-northeast over western Ontario.

DUST/UNKNOWN AEROSOL:
Northwestern US/Western Canada...
A thin density aerosol became visible during the late afternoon with
the favorable lower sun angle over a large area stretching from western
Alberta and British Columbia southward over northern Idaho, Washington,
Oregon, northwestern Nevada, and northern California. It is possible
that this aerosol is from long range blowing dust transported aloft from
desert regions in Asia.


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

 


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.