DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0000Z May 17, 2021

SMOKE:
Northern Atlantic…
An area of light to moderate density remnant smoke was observed over
the northern Atlantic Ocean from south of Nova Scotia to southeast of
Newfoundland. This smoke was drifting eastward.

Southeastern U.S.…
Fires in southern Georgia and northern Florida were producing plumes of
smoke of up to high density moving westward from their source fires.

Western U.S.…
A fire in southwestern New Mexico was producing a dense smoke plume moving
northeastward. A fire in southern Oregon near the California border was
producing up to moderate density smoke fanning out southward across the
border into northern California.

Mexico…
Numerous fires across western Mexico were observed to be producing
plumes of smoke of up to heavy density. Additional smoke from earlier
fires extended off the coast over the Pacific Ocean.

DUST:
Arizona…
Dust was observed blowing northeast from an area of Cochise County in
southeastern Arizona. The dust plume extended across the New Mexico
border. Additional dust was observed blowing northeast from a location
in southwestern Maricopa County.

Eastern Caribbean Islands…
Earlier today… The large area of Saharan dust continues to spread
relatively slowly to the west across the tropical Atlantic and over the
eastern Caribbean Islands including Puerto Rico.

MTC


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.