DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0015Z March 30, 2020
SMOKE:
Central-eastern Oklahoma and Kansas…
Hundreds of agricultural fires were actively burning across
central-eastern Oklahoma and Kansas during the afternoon and early-evening
hours, including small/short-lived fires as well as larger fire
clusters spanning a few miles across. Larger fires were seen emitting
moderate-to-heavy density smoke , while light-density plumes prevailed
with the small fires. Smoke plumes were moving towards the east-southeast,
coalescing over eastern Kansas where the majority of the area was impacted
by light-to-moderate smoke concentration. Light-density smoke extended
eastward into western and central Arkansas.
Southeastern U.S. and Mid-Atlantic Region…
Agricultural fires were seen south of Lake Okeechobee with smoke plumes
moving towards the northwest across the Lake and into Glades, Highlands
and Okeechobee counties. A large prescribed fire started yesterday
(March 28) in central Liberty County/Florida remained active today
emitting moderate-to-heavy density smoke towards the northeast and into
southwestern Georgia. Another large plume consisting of upper-level
smoke originating from yesterday’s fire activity in northern Florida
and southwestern Georgia could be seen covering eastern North Carolina,
southeastern Virginia and Maryland.
Mexico/Western Gulf of Mexico…
Numerous fires continue to burn throughout central Mexico and the
Yucatan Peninsula. Smoke was covering a large area extending from
the northern and western Yucatan Peninsula all the way to the Texas
border. Light-to-moderate density smoke dominated the entire western
Gulf of Mexico where the smoke is accumulating.
Cuba/Central Gulf of Mexico…
Widespread fire activity continues to be observed across the entire
island. Smoke is spreading towards the west-northwest covering the
central-western portion of the island and extending into the central
Gulf of Mexico and towards the coasts of Mississippi and Alabama.
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/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