DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0200Z May 16, 2023
SMOKE: Much of western and southern Canada/much of northern and eastern CONUS/far northeastern Pacific/far northwestern Atlantic/Maritime Provinces of Canada… An expansive area of smoke the result of wildfire activity across northeastern British Columbia, northern and central Alberta, southeastern Northwest Territory, and northern Saskatchewan was seen extending from this parent region both west-southwestward out across the Pacific before doubling back eastward toward the Oregon coast and likely further inland across the Intermountain West...and east-southeastward across much of southern Canada and the northern CONUS and over the northwestern Atlantic and Maritime Provinces. The thickest smoke resided across northeastern BC, much of the northern half of Alberta, much of northern Saskatchewan, southern Ontario, and the border region from North Dakota to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Lake Superior. PyroCBs are also noted emanating off the larger wildfire activity throughout northeastern BC, northern and west-central Alberta, and northern Saskatchewan. Southern Prairie Provinces/Northern Plains/Upper Midwest… Scattered light smoke production was also observed emanating from agricultural burning activity across the Dakotas and Minnesota into southern Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba. Some smoke emissions across southern Manitoba are likely obscured by the thick emissions described above. Smoke was mainly moving off toward the east-southeast. BLOWING DUST… Southwestern Saskatchewan into southeastern Alberta… Dust was observed being lofted from or around Bitter Lake in far southwestern Saskatchewan and moving north-northwestward across the provincial boundary into southeastern Alberta. From earlier (without much change in the afternoon)... SMOKE/AEROSOL: Atlantic Ocean off the Southeast United States Coast, Southeastern United States, South Central United States, Gulf of Mexico, Northwestern Central America, Mexico, and the Pacific Ocean south and southwest of Northwestern Central Mexico and Southwest Mexico…. A large area of light density smoke from ongoing fire activity in Mexico and northwestern Central America was seen today extending from the Atlantic Ocean off the Southeast United States Coast extending west through the Southeastern United States, South Central United States, the Gulf of Mexico, northwestern Central America, Mexico and the Pacific Ocean south and southwest of northwestern Central America and southwestern Mexico. While the majority of what is seen in satellite imagery is believed to be smoke, some aerosols from industrial activity mainly in Mexico and Central America may be mixing in. -Hanna 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