DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1630Z May 2, 2022
SMOKE: Southwestern U.S... The Hermits Peak, Calf Canyon, and Cerro Pelado wildfires in northern New Mexico continued to emit significant smoke this morning with moderate to thick density plumes visible spreading generally to the east. The smoke from the Hermits Peak Fire was the most widespread as moderate to thick density smoke reached as far east as southwestern Kansas, the Oklahoma panhandle, and far northwestern Texas. Thinner density smoke likely extended farther to the east but widespread thunderstorm cloudiness covered portions of Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri preventing detection through satellite imagery of any smoke which might be present there. Farther to the southwest in west central New Mexico, a couple of wildfires including the Water Fire were producing thin to locally moderate density smoke plumes which moved to the east this morning. Central, Eastern, and Southeastern U.S/Atlantic Ocean off the Mid-Atlantic Coast… As stated above, cloudiness over a portion of the central U.S. prevented detection of smoke through satellite imagery which might still be present in that region. Outside of the cloudiness, mainly thinner density smoke was visible this morning extending from the Middle Mississippi Valley eastward to the Mid-Atlantic region and extending farther to the east and offshore to and beyond the area over the Atlantic including Bermuda. The smoke also appeared to be over most of the southeastern U.S. with the exception of the southern half of Florida. Within the large thin density smoke area was a swath of moderate density smoke which was seen moving to the east and southeast from western Kentucky to the western Carolinas. This moderate smoke was likely attributed to the wildfires burning in northern New Mexico while the larger mass of thin density smoke was believed to be from a combination of the New Mexico wildfires and some recent seasonal fire activity scattered over the central, south central, and southeastern U.S. It is also possible that smoke from the ongoing widespread seasonal fire activity in Mexico may also be present especially in the southern part of the area closer to the Gulf Coast. Texas/Louisiana/Mexico/Central America/Western Gulf of Mexico/Pacific Ocean South of Mexico and Central America... A large mass of predominantly stagnant light to moderate smoke from seasonal fire activity and a few wildfires in Mexico and Central America was observed covering southern and southeastern Texas and Louisiana, the western Gulf of Mexico including the Bay of Campeche to the south, central, eastern, and southern Mexico, and northwestern Central America. The smoke also extended south of the southern coast of Mexico and Central America over the Pacific. Embedded plumes of thick smoke were visible associated with likely wildfires in south central Mexico with the smoke plumes moving primarily to the northeast. The moderate density smoke was located mainly over eastern and southern Mexico including a portion of the nearby eastern Pacific off the southern coast of Mexico. DUST: Nevada… A narrow stripe of blowing dust was just beginning to form and move to the north over west central Nevada from a dry lake bed, kicked up by gusty winds ahead of a front moving inland from the Pacific. New Mexico… Thin to moderate density blowing sand/dust originating from a source in central New Mexico southeast of Albuquerque was seen moving to the east. 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 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