DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0200Z March 8, 2022
SMOKE: Southeastern U.S... A large fire complex continues to burn throughout the daylight hours in the Florida panhandle to the northeast of Panama City near Tenmile and Green Bay swamps. The emitted smoke was thick at times and was moving off toward the northeast throughout the afternoon and evening. In addition to the previously mentioned feature, a few smaller agricultural burns across Georgia and South Carolina were observed emitting light smoke that was also moving northeastward. An area of remnant smoke was seen off the Mid-Atlantic coast, likely a result of remnant smoke from yesterday with possible light contribution from widely scattered fire activity in the Carolinas as well. Further west, a handful of smoke plumes of likely agricultural origin were observed across Louisiana and far southern Mississippi. Here, the smoke was moving south behind a cold front that moved through the area today. Further smoke may be present from Texas to the Carolinas, but could not be analyzed due to the presence of cloud cover. Elsewhere… Isolated light smoke plumes were observed in California’s Central Valley moving southsoutheastward. Two smoke plumes were observed moving south-southeastward from presumably agricultural burns in north-central Kansas and north-central Oklahoma, and isolated smoke-producing fire activity across the mountainous terrain from Nevada into New Mexico. SMOKE/AEROSOL: Southeastern Texas and the immediate Gulf Coast/Bay of Campeche/Gulf of Mexico/Central, Southern, and Eastern Mexico/Northwestern Central America/Pacific Ocean South of Mexico and Central America... The combination of light to moderate density smoke from seasonal fires in Mexico and Central America along with other atmospheric pollutants including aerosols from oil and gas flaring and other industries in the region and possibly some volcanic ash from Fuego volcano in Guatemala, was visible this afternoon and evening across portions of southern Texas, the immediate Gulf Coast of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama,and the Florida Panhandle, central, southern, and eastern Mexico, the western and northern portions of the Gulf of Mexico, and northwestern Central America, with aerosol extending well off the southern coast of Mexico and northwestern Central America over the Pacific Ocean. BLOWING DUST: Southern California/Southwestern Arizona/Colorado Delta… Dust from across the Mojave Desert was observed being lofted by strong winds out of the north and transported south across the Salton Sea and the agricultural areas south of there to the northern Gulf of California. Hosley 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 map: https://www.ospo.noaa.gov/data/land/fire/currenthms.jpg Smoke data: https://satepsanone.nesdis.noaa.gov/pub/FIRE/web/HMS/Smoke_Polygons Fire data: https://satepsanone.nesdis.noaa.gov/pub/FIRE/web/HMS/Fire_Points ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING THIS PRODUCT SHOULD BE SENT TO: SSDFireTeam@noaa.gov