Wednesday January 18, 2023

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0038Z January 19, 2023

Heavy cloud cover was observed over most of the central, northwestern
and eastern portions of the U.S. and Canada precluded further smoke
detection this evening.

Cuba...
Light to moderate density smoke from recent rounds of seasonal burning
in central Cuba and extending into the surrounding Caribbean.

Northern Mexico:
In northern Mexico seasonal burning and wildfires were seen releasing
light to moderate smoke in Chihuahua. The smoke was moving northeast
within Chihuahua.

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.

BLOWING DUST:
Texas, Southeastern New Mexico,
An area of mostly moderate blowing dust was seen blowing from western
Texas and southeastern New Mexico west over northern Texas and southern
Oklahoma. The thicker mass was moving towards Dallas as evening
approached.

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.