Wednesday, March 30, 2022

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0156Z March 31, 2022

SMOKE:
South Central and Southeastern U.S./Mid-Atlantic Region/Atlantic Ocean
off the Southeast U.S. Coast/Gulf of Mexico…
Significant cloud cover is present over a large part of the eastern
half of the U.S. which greatly limits the ability to detect any smoke
from satellite imagery which may be present in this area. Through some
breaks in the clouds, a patch of light density smoke from large wind
whipped wildfires in northwestern Texas and western Oklahoma was seen
moving mainly to the southeast and was mixing with blowing dust in the
region. Farther to the east, an area of thin to moderate density smoke
attributed primarily to recent rounds of seasonal fire activity and a few
Spring season wildfires occurring over portions of the South Central and
Southeastern U.S. was visible through breaks in the clouds extending from
northeastern U.S. and south to Florida extending offshore of the eastern
U.S. coast. Additionally, a large area of thin to moderate density
smoke linked to ongoing significant seasonal fire activity in Mexico
and Central America had spread to the north and covered much of the Gulf
of Mexico and over the southern and southeastern Texas and the central
Gulf Coast region. The moderate density smoke was located more over the
western/central Gulf of Mexico and extended southward down into southern
Mexico and the Bay of Campeche. Over northeastern Mexico, southern, the
western Gulf of Mexico, some smoke from the larger wildfires in southern
Texas and western Oklahoma and blowing dust was likely mixing in with the
smoke being transported north from Mexico.  Cloud cover farther inland
over the south central and southeastern U.S. prevented information on
the northward extent of the smoke over the U.S. from satellite imagery.

Texas…
Three large wildfire complexes were seen in southern Texas emitting
moderate to heavy smoke that was moving southeast over the Gulf of Mexico
as evening approached.

SMOKE/AEROSOL:
Southern and Eastern Mexico/Central America/Gulf of Mexico/Bay of
Campeche/Pacific Ocean South of Mexico and Central America...
A broad region light to moderate density smoke from seasonal fire
activity mixed
with aerosols from oil and gas flaring and other industrial sources in
Mexico was observed covering a large part of southern, eastern, and
southeastern Mexico, as well as the Bay of Campeche, the Gulf of Mexico,
and the Pacific Ocean extending well south of the southern coast of Mexico
and Central America. Moderate density smoke/aerosol covered the western
Gulf of Mexico, the Bay of Campeche, portions of southern and eastern
Mexico, and south of the coast of Mexico and northwestern Central America.

DUST:
Southeastern New Mexico/Northern Mexico...
An area of generally light density blowing dust was observed moving
south-southeast from northern Mexico, southeastern New Mexico and
northern/central Texas as evening approached. Somewhat thicker blowing
dust was also seen farther to the south and east along the western end
of significant cloud cover across northeastern Mexico, and from south
central to north central Texas. The dust may extend farther to the
east and northeast but cloud cover prevented additional information
from satellite imagery. It is also likely mixing with smoke from the
northwestern Texas and western Oklahoma wildfires and from fires farther
to the south in Mexico.

Mexico/Gulf of Mexico...
Thicker blowing dust was seen blowing east from most of central
and southern Mexico contributing to the thickness of the mass of
“SMOKE/AEROSOL” section over the Gulf of Mexico.


Eglin


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

 


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.