DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0345Z February 22, 2020
SMOKE: Northern California and Oregon… A number of fires were observed throughout Oregon and extending into northern California near the San Francisco Bay area. Light smoke plumes were visible extending from the fires in various directions. Light density smoke was visible moving primarily south from fires in northern California, while light density smoke was visible moving in multiple directions throughout the state of Oregon. Oklahoma, Northern Arkansas, Southern Missouri... A large number of fires were observed extending through central Texas and Oklahoma into Missouri and into the southern portions of Illinois and Indiana. Additional fire activity was observed in western Tennessee and Kentucky, as well as eastern Kansas. Numerous light density smoke plumes were visible moving primarily north throughout Oklahoma and northeast from fires burning in Missouri and Arkansas. A limited number of medium to heavy density smoke plumes were also visible from larger fires in Arkansas and northeastern Oklahoma. Texas Gulf Coast… Heavy fire activity was visible along the Gulf Coast of Texas extending from the Kingsville area north along the coast up into the Galveston Bay area. These fires were producing a large amount of smoke extending into the Gulf of Mexico and along the coastal region. Mainly light density smoke was observed moving south-southwest from fires, with some regions of medium to heavy density smoke visible from fires specifically located northwest of Copano Bay. Maryland and New Jersey… A large complex of fires on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland were observed producing a large plume of light density smoke extending south into the Bay. Numerous agricultural fires in eastern New Jersey were also observed producing a number of light density smoke plumes moving southeast off the coast into the Atlantic Ocean. Cuba and Dominican Republic… A large number of fires were observed on the islands of Cuba and Dominican Republic with light density smoke plumes emitting in multiple directions. Some medium to heavy density smoke was also observed with some fires. Plumes extended off of the coast into the Caribbean Sea. Central Mexico… Scattered plumes of light density smoke originating from fires scattered throughout western and central Mexico were observed moving primarily northward while visible prior to cloud cover obscuring visibility. EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON: Maryland and New Jersey… A few fires presumably related to agricultural/prescribed burning were producing small plumes of light smoke moving southward over southern New Jersey. Another larger fire on the eastern shore of Chesapeake Bay in southern Maryland was also producing a light smoke plume extending southward over the bay. 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