DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0300Z March 31, 2020
SMOKE:
Central U.S…
Seasonal fire activity was abundant from western Oklahoma into Iowa with
the greatest abundance of activity in eastern Kansas, northern Missouri,
and the entirety of Iowa. The smoke was most dense from the fire activity
in eastern Kansas, with a large area of light to moderate smoke having
developed by the late afternoon. An area of high pressure over the
Kansas/Oklahoma border north of Tulsa was dominating the movement of
smoke across most of Oklahoma (to the north), Kansas (to the northeast),
and Missouri and far northeastern Oklahoma (to the southeast) while
persistent flow out of the northeast behind an expansive low over the
eastern CONUS was forcing smoke across northern and far eastern Iowa
towards the southwest.
Mexico/Central America/Western Gulf of Mexico…
Widespread seasonal fire activity from central Mexico and the Yucatan
Peninsula into Honduras was producing numerous plumes of light to
moderately dense smoke. The greatest concentration of observed smoke
was the the southern Gulf of Mexico, the Bay of Campeche, the Isthmus of
Tehuantepec, and Guatemala. Large areas of light to moderate smoke across
the Bay of Campeche and the southern Gulf of Mexico are attributable
to remnant smoke from yesterday’s activity and from oil/gas flaring
in the Bay of Campeche over the past day or two. This area of smoke
was mainly moving off towards the east. There is likely further smoke
than is analyzed across the Yucatan, but due to widespread cumulus cloud
development, smoke analysis was impeded...although any smoke not analyzed
would likely be light in nature. Much of the smoke analyzed over the
Yucatan was coming from one set of fires over the eastern portion of
the Mexican state of Campeche, where heavy smoke was produced with that
smoke moving both to the northwest and the southeast.
Cuba…
Fire activity throughout the entire island nation of Cuba was producing
smoke throughout the day. Much of the generated smoke was observed
moving off towards the northeast with smoke form two fires on the Isle
of Youth moving east to northeast and smoke from fires near Guantanamo
Bay moving south or south-southwest. A patch of remnant smoke, which was
mainly light although a small portion was of slightly greater density,
was also observed to the north of Cuba and extending across the southern
Florida Keys and the Dry Tortugas.
Bahamas…
A single fire on Little Abaco island in the northern Bahamas was producing
thick smoke this afternoon. Light smoke was extending out to about 150
miles east-northeast from the parent fire into the Atlantic Ocean.
Hosley
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