DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0230Z May 2, 2018
SMOKE: Florida... Wildfires were observed emitting moderate-to-heavy density smoke in Collier County along with seasonal/agricultural fires releasing light-density smoke to the north along the state border with Georgia. In both areas the smoke plumes were being transported towards the west. Georgia/Mid-Atlantic... Several agricultural fires and prescribed burns were seen along southeast Georgia, South Carolina, eastern North Carolina and Virginia during the afternoon and early-evening hours. Moderate-density smoke plumes were seen in northwest Virginia. The prevailing winds were pushing the smoke towards the northeast-east across the region. Central America/Gulf of Mexico... Seasonal fires across southern Mexico and the Yucatan peninsula contributed widespread smoke plumes extending into the Pacific ocean to the west and into the Gulf to the east. A secondary plume was seen covering the eastern half of the Gulf originating from fires in Florida. WS 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