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