DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0050Z March 17, 2022
SMOKE: Cuba… Widespread fire activity was observed across the region this afternoon, with a couple of areas of light density smoke developing over the southern and northern ends of the island. Central U.S. Extending to the Great Lakes Region, and Mid-Atlantic… A large number of fires were actively burning across much of the central U.S., and in particular across northeastern Oklahoma, Missouri and southern Illinois where individual plumes of moderate concentration could be seen dispersing toward the northeast. A large area consisting of light density smoke stretched from central Oklahoma to the Great Lakes, passing through eastern Kansas, northern Arkansas, Missouri, central-southern Iowa, Illinois, southern Wisconsin, Indiana, and northwestern Ohio. That large plume is moving toward the northeast and in the general direction of New England. Another area of remnant light density smoke from previous day fires along the Mid-Atlantic U.S. is also seen just off the coast of New Jersey. SMOKE/AEROSOL: Gulf of Mexico/Southern and Eastern Mexico/Central America/Pacific Ocean off South of Mexico and Central America… A large area of mostly light density smoke mixed with aerosols from oil and gas flaring and other industrial sources in Mexico and Central America was observed over the central and western Gulf of Mexico, central and southern Mexico, and a portion of Central America, extending further westward over the Pacific ocean for several hundred miles. WS 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