DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1630Z January 26, 2023

SMOKE/AEROSOL:
Southern Mexico/Central America/Pacific...
A large mass of primarily thin density smoke and aerosol from seasonal
fire activity mainly in Mexico and industrial activity also mainly in
Mexico was visible covering portions of southern Mexico, parts of
northwestern Central America, and the Pacific Ocean south of Mexico. Cloud
cover over Gulf of Mexico restricted most of the smoke analysis for this
morning, however a patch of light thin smoke was still observed in the
northwestern region of the Gulf of Mexico, bordering coastal areas of
Texas and Louisiana likely from the activity in Mexico. An embedded area
of moderate density smoke/aerosol mixture was seen over
a small portion of the Pacific Ocean south of the southwestern Mexico.

Cuba/Hispaniola/Caribbean/Atlantic...
Areas of generally thin density smoke/aerosol from rounds of seasonal
burning and industrial activity in Cuba and Hispaniola was present
across the western part of Hispaniola, almost all of Cuba, the
Caribbean Sea south of Cuba, parts of the Atlantic Ocean between Cuba
and the
Bahamas, and the eastern Gulf of Mexico where it merged with a
smoke/aerosol mixture emanating mainly from Mexico.  Within the larger
area of thin density smoke/aerosol mixture was a batch of moderate
density smoke/aerosol north of Cuba and a small portion of
the Caribbean Sea to the south of Cuba.  This is likely mostly smoke
from yesterday’s round of significant seasonal fire activity in Cuba.

Nguyen


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.