DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0130Z February 24, 2024
SMOKE: Northern/Central Plains: An area of light smoke was seen across parts of eastern Montana, eastern Wyoming, northeast Colorado, North Dakota south to northern/central Nebraska and into western Iowa and Missouri. The highest density smoke was located across parts of eastern South Dakota, eastern Nebraska, eastern Kansas and western Iowa and northwest Missouri. Smoke was most likely from fires burning in parts of western and central Canada. Mississippi Valley/Southeast/Southern Plains/Gulf of Mexico… An area of light density smoke was seen this evening across parts of eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, eastern Texas east through Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and extending south into western sections of Gulf of Mexico and parts of northeastern Mexico. Higher density smoke plumes merging was seen across Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. Southern/Northern Cuba/Caribbean Sea/Gulf of Mexico ... Light density smoke from recent rounds of seasonal burning throughout southern Cuba was extending south into the Caribbean Sea. Additionally seasonal burning in northern Cuba was releasing light density smoke generally north into the eastern parts of the Gulf of Mexico while encompassing the majority of Florida and into the Atlantic off the Florida/Georgia coast. AEROSOL/SMOKE… Mexico/Gulf of Mexico/Central America/Pacific Ocean south of Mexico… An area of light to moderate density aerosol and smoke was observed over the southwestern portion of the Gulf of Mexico and eastern/southern coast of Mexico. An area of light-density aerosol was noted over the Pacific Ocean off the coast of southern Mexico and western Central America. The aerosols were likely the product of urban and volcanic emissions along the southern Mexican coastline with some contribution from scattered fire activity seen across southwestern Mexico and northwestern Central America during the last few days. JK 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