Tuesday January 17, 2023

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0111 January 18, 2023

SMOKE:
Southeastern United States/Atlantic Ocean off the Southeast Coast...
A large amount of light to moderate density smoke plumbs attributed
primarily to widespread seasonal burning in the southeastern U.S. creating
a large area of light density smoke with pockets of moderate density
smoke. It covered most of Florida extending off the coastal Atlantic while
stretching northeastward into southeastern Georgia and into southeastern
South Carolina today. Some of the thicker smoke was seen over southern
Florida moving north and northeast as evening approached.

Pacific Northwest...
A large number of wildfires and seasonal/prescribed type fire activity
was observed throughout British Columbia and Alberta. A light density
smoke plume was observed in Alberta moving generally north but snow in
the background and periodical cloud covered precluding smoke analysis
in this area.

Cuba/Caribbean...
Light to moderate density smoke from recent rounds of seasonal burning
throughout Cuba and extending southwest into the surrounding Caribbean.

SMOKE/AEROSOL:
Central U.S. and Western Gulf Coast Region/Northern and Western Gulf of
Mexico/Eastern and Southern Mexico/Northwestern Central America/Pacific
Ocean off the coast of Southern Mexico and Northwest Central America…
A huge area of primarily thin density aerosol, composed in part by
industrial activities in Mexico and seasonal fire activity also in Mexico,
was visible today covering a good portion of eastern and southern Mexico,
some of northwestern Central America, and extending south of those areas
well out over the Pacific. A patch of moderate density smoke/aerosol
mixture was present over a portion of the coast of southern Mexico and
extending to the south over the Pacific. The thin density smoke/aerosol
mixture also stretched to the north over the western and northern Gulf
of Mexico and inland over the U.S. Gulf Coast region from Texas to
Mississippi. Cloud cover farther inland over the U.S. Gulf Coast region
limited additional information on the extent of the smoke/aerosol.

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.