DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE
IMAGERY THROUGH 0200Z May 18, 2018
SMOKE: Minnesota/South Dakota... Numerous small fires were seen across southern Minnesota and eastern South Dakota. A few light-density plumes could be observed interspersed in increasing cloud cover. Plume trajectories were variable. Texas/Louisiana... Fires in the eastern portion of Texas and southern Louisiana were seen producing light-density smoke plumes traveling towards the southeast. Mexico... Widespread seasonal fires were observed across the Sierra Madre Ocidental and extending over to the southern end of the Sierra Madre del Sur along the Pacific coastline. Relatively large fires and associated smoke plumes prevailed to the north U.S. border, whereas small fires and a large area of stagnant light-density smoke encompassed the affected areas to the south. Dust: California... Blowing dust was observed off the West Mesa area located southwest of Salton Sea. The dust was traveling to the east over the towns of Brawley and Calipatria extending across the Arizona state border. 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