DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1700Z February 17, 2022
SMOKE:
Eastern Half of U.S…
Significant cloud cover over the eastern half of the U.S. prevented
much in the way of smoke detection in satellite imagery. Widespread and
numerous seasonal fires were detected the past few days in the south
central and southeastern U.S.
California/Pacific Off the California Coast…
A relatively large fire located in the valley south of Bishop in east
central California was producing a thin to moderately dense smoke plume
which was moving to the south-southeast. A larger detached batch of
thin density smoke believed to be mainly from this fire was visible
over a portion of far southwestern California and northwestern Baja
and extending to the west off the southern California and northern Baja
coast over the eastern Pacific.
SMOKE/AEROSOL:
Central and Western Gulf Coast Region/Bay of Campeche/Gulf of
Mexico/Southern and Eastern Mexico/Northwestern Central America/Pacific
Ocean South of Mexico and Central America...
The combination of thin density smoke from seasonal fires in Mexico
and Central America and other atmospheric pollutants including aerosols
from oil and gas flaring and other industries in the region was visible
today over southern and eastern Mexico, northwestern Central America,
a sizable portion of the Pacific off the southern coast of Mexico and
Central America, the Bay of Campeche, the western and central Gulf of
Mexico, and the Gulf coast region from southern and southeastern Texas
across to southern Louisiana. Within this very large area of thinner
density smoke/aerosol were a couple of more moderate areas. One was
located over eastern Mexico and extended out over the western Gulf of
Mexico and the western part of the Bay of Campeche while the second one
was located along and off the southern portions of the Mexican state of
Chiapas and southern Guatemala and well out over the Pacific.
BLOWING DUST:
Southeastern New Mexico/Northern Mexico/Texas…
An area of varying density blowing dust was observed this morning moving
to the south over southeastern New Mexico and western Texas. While most
of the area appeared to be rather thin density, the leading edge was
moderately dense to even locally thick. Farther to the east and southeast,
a larger area of relatively thin density blowing dust which was likely
kicked up from yesterday’s round of strong winds farther to the west,
was seen spreading to the east and southeast over much of central,
south central, and eastern Texas, and northern Mexico. The dust may
extend farther to the east and northeast but cloudiness interfered in
satellite imagery.
Caribbean Region…
Some very thin Saharan dust may have spread as far west as Puerto Rico
and portions of the eastern Caribbean region though it was barely visible
in satellite imagery.
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