DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0200Z April 24, 2023
SMOKE: Central CONUS… Dense agricultural burning activity was observed across eastern Kansas with more scattered activity in surrounding states. The numerous individual plumes have congealed into one large area of moderate to perhaps thick smoke blanketing much of eastern Kansas extending eastward just across the state border into Missouri. Activity in Oklahoma was also noted producing moderate smoke that was moving south-southwestward in eastern Oklahoma while moving southeastward across north-central Oklahoma. Southeastern CONUS… Isolated to scattered fire activity across the southeastern CONUS was observed producing light to moderate smoke this afternoon. A majority of the smoke was observed moving east-southeastward across Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. SMOKE/AEROSOL: Far Southwestern and Southern Texas/U.S. Gulf Coast Region/Florida/Gulf of Mexico/Northwestern Central America/Southern and Eastern Mexico/Pacific Ocean South of the Southern Coast of Mexico and Central America… The ongoing significant and widespread seasonal fire activity in Mexico and Central America resulted in a very large area of primarily light to moderate density smoke which covered much of southern and eastern Mexico, northwestern Central America, the Pacific Ocean well south of the southern coast of Mexico and Northwestern Central America, the Gulf of Mexico, far southern and southwestern Texas, and the Florida peninsula. The thickest smoke appeared over Northwestern Central America, portions of southeastern Mexico, and some of the Bay of Campeche. Although most of what is seen in satellite imagery was believed to be smoke, some aerosols from industrial activity primarily from Mexico and Central America may be contributing. UNKNOWN AEROSOL: Central Canada/North Central and Central U.S./Southeastern U.S./Middle Atlantic Region… An area of unknown mainly thin density aerosol was visible this afternoon extending from southern Northwest Territory into southwestern Nunavut, then southward into central Manitoba and into the Dakotas, Upper Midwest, and across Lake Superior back into western Ontario. Thinner portions exist south and west of the more noticeable portion of the layer, covering much of the Prairie Provinces and the Great Plains. The likely source for this aerosol layer is remnant dust from the dust storms noted earlier this week originating from the Taklamakan and Gobi Deserts. Far Northern North America… A stretched out ribbon of aerosol was observed stretching across the Canadian Archipelago, northern Northwest Territory, northern Yukon, and northern and central and western Alaska with some extending as far as Kodiak Island and into the central Gulf of Alaska. The likely source of this aerosol is remnant sulfur dioxide from the eruption of Sheveluch volcano 2 weeks ago. 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