DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0400Z February 14, 2023
SMOKE: Southeastern CONUS… Widespread agricultural burning was observed across much of the Southeastern CONUS this afternoon and evening. The highest density of smoke production was along the Gulf Coast into Florida, with a couple observed in the Carolinas and up into Tennessee and Kentucky. Nearly all smoke was observed moving east to east-southeast from the parent fire, with an east-northeast to northeast movement observed in the later afternoon across Louisiana and southern Mississippi. Cloud cover moving in late in the day likely disallowed the analysis of smoke across northern Mississippi and northern Alabama even though it is probable analyzed fires there were at least producing some smoke. Central Plains/Midwest… Widespread agricultural burning was also observed across the Central Plains into the Midwest. Smoke production was observed from fires between Kansas and Indiana. Smoke from fires across Kansas, much of Missouri, Iowa, and far southeastern Nebraska was moving mainly north to north-northeastward with east-northeastward movement for smoke plumes reaching higher altitudes. Across far eastern Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana, smoke was moving mainly east-southeastward. Due to increasing cloud cover throughout the day, smoke was not analyzed over southeastern Kansas, southwestern Missouri, Oklahoma, and Arkansas...although it is probable that smoke production occurred across these areas. Hawaii… A fire on the north side of the Big Island of Hawaii was observed producing smoke this afternoon and evening. The smoke was moving off toward the west-southwest and getting caught up on the leeward side of the Big Island. Cuba… More Widespread burning was observed across Cuba. Numerous light to moderate smoke plumes were seen, with smoke moving southward across the western and central portions of Cuba with smoke moving southeast to east (with a couple deeper plumes moving north) across the eastern portion of Cuba. SMOKE/AEROSOL: California’s Central Valley… A mixture of light smoke from widespread agricultural burning in the central portion of California’s Central Valley, coupled with marine aerosol, small amounts of dust, and aerosols of an industrial nature, along with southeasterly flow limiting exhaust, were producing a light to moderate density aerosol cloud throughout much of the valley. Mexico/Guatemala/Southern Texas/Western Gulf of Mexico/Bay of Campeche/Tropical Pacific… A large area of light aerosol containing a mix of smoke from fire and gas flaring activity, aerosol from industrial areas, and perhaps a little dust was observed across an area from far southern Texas and the western Gulf of Mexico across Mexico and into the Tropical Atlantic. Further contributions were seen moving from the coastal plain of Guatemala offshore into the Pacific. BLOWING DUST: Northern Nevada… A front was observed moving through northern Nevada this afternoon. This front was kicking up moderate to thick dust plumes all across the sandy deserts of northern Nevada. In the wake of the front, the lofted dust/sand was being transported south while south of the front, dust/sand was being drawn northeastward. It is possible that blowing dust is present across southeastern Oregon and southwestern Idaho, but cloud cover was obscuring these areas. 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