DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0300Z May 12, 2019
SMOKE:
Mexico/Central America/Gulf of Mexico...
A large of area of light-to-moderate density smoke remains over the
region with some plumes expressing heavy density. The smoke covers most
of central and southern Mexico into Guatemala, Belize and Honduras.
The plume then extends off of the coast into the Gulf of Mexico,
where light remnants can be seen over the Gulf Coast of Louisiana.
Additional smaller light-to-moderate density plumes were also visible
moving east in northwestern Mexico.
Oregon/Washington/Idaho/Montana...
A few sizable plumes were visible with large fires near the border of
Idaho and Montana, central Montana and Oregon. The smoke was mostly
light-to-medium in density, with a heavier plume extending southeast
from a fire in central Montana. Plumes were flowing south-southeast.
BLOWING DUST:
Some very light blowing dust originating in far east Asia is present
over coastal regions of Oregon and Washington. The dust blowing off of
the coast in Asia, has wrapped into a storm system in the Pacific Ocean
and has been transported to the Pacific Northwest coastal region.
EARLIER SMOKE ANALYSIS...
SMOKE:
Mexico/Guatemala/Honduras/Gulf of Mexico...
Wide spread fire activity can be observed across central-southern Mexico
this morning. A large area of moderate-to-heavy density smoke covers
most of central-southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras. The
plume extends to west for approximately 200 miles over the Pacific ocean
waters off southwest Mexico, to the east over the Gulf of Honduras,
and to the north-northeast over the majority of the Gulf of Mexico. The
smoke originating from southern Mexico and the Yucatan peninsula is
moving northwest towards the western Gulf Mexico where some of the
highest concentrations are found. Other areas of high smoke concentration
include the Gulf of Honduras and the Mexican states of Chiapas, Oaxaca and
Guerrero where low and variable surface winds prevent smoke dispersion.
JL
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/data/land/fire/currenthms.jpg
GIS: ftp://satpsanone.nesdis.noaa.gov/FIRE/HMS/GIS/
KML: http://www.ospo.noaa.gov/data/land/fire/fire.kml (fire)
http://www.ospo.noaa.gov/data/land/fire/smoke.kml (smoke)
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING THIS PRODUCT SHOULD BE SENT TO:
SSDFireTeam@noaa.gov