DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0155z April 23, 2021
SMOKE: Southeast U.S. Atlantic Ocean... Widespread fire activity throughout the entire southeastern United States including eastern Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and the Carolinas was producing a large amount of primarily light to medium density smoke. The large number of fires created extensive smoke cover that encompassed much of Alabama, eastern Mississippi and a majority of Georgia. Smoke was moving primarily southeast towards the northern state over the Atlantic Ocean and south/southwest in the area closer to the Gulf of Mexico. California... In northern and central California three light density smoke plumes attributed to seasonal fire activity were observed moving southeast in direction. Central Oregon... In central Oregon three light density smoke plumes attributed to seasonal fire activity were observed moving northeast in direction. Idaho... In southeast Idaho a light to moderate density smoke plume possibly attributed to wildfires was observed moving southeast in direction. Louisiana... In southwestern Louisiana a moderate density smoke plume attributed to wildfires was observed moving northwest in direction before becoming obscured by the clouds. Cuba... Widespread agricultural fire activity and and embedded wildfires were observed throughout Cuba causing a large area of light density smoke around the island with embedded patches of moderate to thick density smoke along the northern coast Texas, Gulf of Mexico/Bay of Campeche/Mexico/Central America/Pacific south of Mexico... A large area of thin to moderate density smoke was seen covering much of northeastern/central/southern Mexico, Central America, a portion of the Pacific south of Mexico, the Bay of Campeche, and most of the Gulf of Mexico. Embedded patches of moderate density smoke were visible in association with some of the more active fires especially in Mexico, and along the coast of eastern/southern Mexico and Central America. This entire area of smoke was due mainly to the ongoing seasonal fires in Mexico and Central America. DUST: Central Oregon... Two swaths of heavy density blowing dust kicked up in southeast Oregon and they were observed moving in a southeast direction before nightfall. Eglin 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