DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0230Z April 11, 2020

SMOKE:
Central U.S…
A massive amount of seasonal burning was detected during the day across
the Central U.S.  Numerous individual smoke plumes were also visible
with some of the fires though cloud cover did limit smoke detection in
satellite imagery especially in the northern part of the area. The most
concentrated fire activity was centered over northeastern Oklahoma and
eastern Kansas which resulted in a broad swath of moderately dense smoke
which spread to the north from northeastern Oklahoma over eastern Kansas
and into southeastern Nebraska.

Mexico/Central America/Cuba/Gulf of Mexico/Southern Texas/Southern
Florida/Bahamas…
Widespread intense seasonal burning occurring in portions of Mexico,
Central America, and Cuba resulted in a huge area of thin to moderate
density smoke which blanketed much of southern and southeastern Mexico
and Central America. The smoke extended northward over the southern
Gulf of Mexico reaching possibly into far southern Texas. The smoke
then extended eastward over southern Florida and the Bahamas. Additional
smoke from fire activity in Cuba was added to the mix as well. Embedded
thicker smoke plumes and areas of smoke were also seen particularly over
Central America and the Yucatan Peninsula.

JS


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

Unless otherwise indicated:

Areas of smoke are analyzed using GOES-EAST and GOES-WEST Visible satellite imagery.

Only a general description of areas of smoke or significant smoke plumes will be analyzed.

A quantitative assessment of the density/amount of particulate or the vertical distribution is not included.

Widespread cloudiness may prevent the detection of smoke even from significant fires.