DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0130Z April 1, 2023
SMOKE: Eastern U.S... Significant cloud cover over much of the eastern U.S. prevented satellite detection of any leftover smoke which might be present in this region. Yesterday’s round of significant seasonal fire activity especially in the central and southeastern U.S. makes it likely at least some remnant smoke is present over the eastern U.S. Oklahoma/Missouri... A number of wildfires across the north-central and northeastern part of Oklahoma were spreading thin density plumes across northeastern Oklahoma and southwestern Missouri. SMOKE/AEROSOL: South-central and Southeastern U.S./Gulf of Mexico/Mexico/Central America/Pacific/Caribbean... A mixture of primarily thin density smoke from seasonal fire activity in Mexico and Central America and aerosols from industrial activity also originating from portions of Mexico and Central America along with aerosols from gas flaring in the Bay of Campeche were detected over southern and eastern Mexico and Central America and extending to the south well out over the Pacific Ocean south of Mexico and Central America. The smoke/aerosol mix also extended to the north and northeast across much of the Gulf of Mexico and inland over at least some of the south central and southeastern U.S. though cloud cover inland over portions of the south central and southeastern U.S. limited additional information through satellite imagery on the extent of the smoke/aerosol in this region. Farther to the east, remnant thin density smoke from seasonal fires in Cuba, Hispaniola, and Jamaica along with some aerosol from industrial activity in these locations was detected spreading to the west over the central and western Caribbean Sea and to the northwest over the eastern and central Gulf of Mexico where it likely merged with the smoke/aerosols originating from Mexico and Central America. An embedded moderate area of smoke from the fire activity primarily in Mexico and northwestern Central America was noted over a portion of southeastern Mexico and along and off the coast of southeastern Mexico and southern Guatemala. A smaller patch of moderate density smoke likely from fires in the Yucatan Peninsula was visible over the Bay of Campeche. DUST: Central and Southern Plains... A large moderate to dense area of blowing dust was observed over eastern Colorado, northern Texas, all of Oklahoma, southern Kansas, southwest Missouri, and western Arkansas. Konon 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