DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0100Z December 11, 2021
SMOKE:
Texas/Oklahoma…
At least a half dozen smoke plumes developed and quickly spread to
the east and northeast from grassland/brush fires in north central and
northwestern Texas, and southwestern and western Oklahoma. Gusty winds
fanned the fires and smoke plumes which were locally moderate to perhaps
even thick in density but rapidly thinned out as they spread off to the
east and northeast from their source.
DUST:
South Central U.S…
In addition to the smoke plumes from grassland/brush fires in the region,
a significant blowing dust episode occurred with strong west and southwest
winds kicking up dust from multiple sources primarily in southern and
eastern New Mexico, and western and northwestern Texas. The dust rapidly
spread to the east and northeast reaching as far as southeastern Kansas
and east central Oklahoma just prior to sunset. The thickest dust which
was rather dense in appearance stretched approximately from between
Midland and Lubbock to the east and northeast across Wichita Falls and
into southwestern and south central Oklahoma. Farther to the north,
a narrow swath of moderately dense blowing dust extended from far east
central New Mexico eastward to near and south of Amarillo TX to near
the border of west central Oklahoma by sunset.
AEROSOL:
Bay of Campeche/Eastern Mexico/Southern Mexico/Pacific Ocean South
of Mexico…
More aerosol which is likely primarily composed of other atmospheric
pollutants with some small contribution from smoke attributed to seasonal
fires in the region was visible late in the day over the southern and
western Bay of Campeche and eastern Mexico as well as southern Mexico
and well out over the Pacific south of Mexico.
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