Friday, May 5, 2023

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0044Z May 6, 2023

SMOKE:
Central U.S/Mid-West/Central and Western Canada/Nunavut...
Thin to thick density smoke from heavy fire activity in northwestern
Canada was observed extending from much of western and Central Canada
southeast through parts of the Rockies, Northern and Central Plains, the
Great Lakes region, and into the Southeastern CONUS, where smoke was still
visible over parts of the Atlantic Ocean. The thin density smoke extended
northeast across Nunavut and into parts of Hudson Bay. Within Alberta
and eastern British Columbia numerous wildfires were seen producing
large amounts of moderate to thick density smoke moving northwestward,
where it runs into a high pressure system pushing the smoke eastward
into northern Canada.

SMOKE/AEROSOL:
South Central and Southeastern U.S./Atlantic off the Southeastern
U.S. Coast/Gulf of Mexico/Cuba/Mexico/Northwestern Central America/Pacific
Ocean Well South of the Southern Coast of Mexico and Northwestern
Central America…
A very large mass of thin to moderate density smoke linked to ongoing
and significant seasonal fire activity and a few wildfires in Mexico
and Central America was present over portions of the south central
and southeastern U.S. and extending well offshore to the east over the
Atlantic Ocean. The smoke also covered the Gulf of Mexico, the western
and northern Caribbean Sea & Islands, northwestern Central America,
most of Mexico, and the Pacific Ocean well south of the southern coast of
Mexico and Central America. The thickest smoke within this large area was
seen over portions of southern and eastern Mexico, northwestern Central
America, the Bay of Campeche, and the Gulf of Mexico likely extending
into the southern Texas.


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.