DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1600Z May 27, 2023
SMOKE: Canada/U.S./Atlantic Ocean... An expansive area that is the result of smoke from wildfire activity across northern and western Canada was observed blanketing much of Canada, the eastern and central CONUS, and significant portions of the north Atlantic. The most significant smoke was observed emanating from the wildfire activity in the Northwest Territory, far northeastern BC, and northern Alberta extending northeastward then east-southeastward. Moderate density smoke was also seen in a thin stripe off the NE US Coast and into a cyclone over the Maritime Provinces with a separate area across the southeastern and south-central CONUS. Much of the smoke across Canada and the North Atlantic is moving eastward, while smoke over the southern CONUS was drifting westward. SMOKE/AEROSOL: Gulf of Mexico/Mexico/Central America/Pacific Ocean Extending well South of the Southern Coast of Mexico and Central America… The persistent and large area of thin to perhaps moderate density smoke, linked mainly to the ongoing widespread burning season along coastal Mexico along with a few wildfires in Mexico and northwestern Central America, was detected over most of Mexico, all of northwestern Central America, the Pacific Ocean well south and southwest off coast of Mexico, and the northern and central Gulf of Mexico. This smoke also extended northward towards the south central and southeastern U.S. where it is likely mixing with the smoke from the Canadian wildfires. Within this large mass of thin density smoke were areas of moderate to locally thick density smoke especially over southern and southwestern Mexico and northwestern Central America. While the majority of what was detected on satellite imagery was believed to be smoke, some aerosols from industrial activity mainly in Mexico and Central America may be mixing in. 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