DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1615Z May 3, 2021
SMOKE: Gulf Coast Region/Mexico/Central America/Gulf of Mexico/Bay of Campeche/Pacific south of Mexico and Central America… The very large area of generally thin to moderate density smoke from the ongoing seasonal fire activity in Mexico and Central America was seen this morning over central, southern, and eastern Mexico, the northwest part of Central America, a portion of the Pacific south of Mexico and Central America, the Bay of Campeche, roughly the western half of the Gulf of Mexico, and a portion of the Gulf Coast region from southern and southeastern Texas across to southern Louisiana and southern Mississippi. The thinner density smoke may also be present farther inland over the Gulf Coast states and the Southeast but cloud cover in these areas is preventing additional information in satellite imagery. Within the large area of thin to moderate dense smoke were embedded patches of thicker density smoke especially seen over southern Mexico and the Gulf of Honduras. Cuba/Florida Keys... A possible leftover batch of thin density smoke from the seasonal burning in Cuba was visible over west central Cuba and extending to the north to just south of the Florida Keys. 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