Thursday, April 22, 2021

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

 


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.