DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1700Z May 28, 2023
SMOKE: Canada/U.S./Atlantic... An expansive area that is the result of smoke from significant wildfire activity across northern and western Canada was observed blanketing much of Canada, the eastern and central CONUS, and large areas of the North Atlantic. The most significant smoke was observed emanating from the wildfire activity in the Northwest Territory, far northeastern BC, northern Alberta and northern Saskatchewan extending northeastward then east-southeastward across Nunavut. Moderate density smoke was detected extending east-southeastward across the Great Lakes and northeastern CONUS and Mid-Atlantic. Another area of remnant smoke was seen over the central CONUS moving wet to north. SMOKE/AEROSOL: Gulf of Mexico/Mexico/Central America/Pacific... The persistent and large area of thin to 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