DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1645Z March 15, 2024
SMOKE: Midwest/Northeast/Southeast United States/Atlantic Ocean... A mass of thin to moderate density smoke attributed to moderate to heavy seasonal burning was observed covering a significant portion of the Midwest, Northeast and Southeast United States again today. The smoke was seen extending north and east from central Texas and Oklahoma, expanding throughout the Midwest the Great Lakes region, reaching as far as New York. As a mass, the smoke was generally moving northeast and east in direction, extending past the coastal Atlantic, where it was seen dispersing over the Atlantic Ocean. Several moderate density plumes were noted in the southeast region, specifically in southern Florida. However, due to widespread cloud coverage, smoke analysis for individual plumes within the regions mentioned above are difficult to assess. AEROSOL/SMOKE: Gulf of Mexico/Bay of Campeche/Yucatan Peninsula/Pacific Ocean south of Mexico/Central America... A large area of light to moderate smoke originating from widespread fire activity in Central America and northern South America, mixed with aerosols from a composite of volcanic emissions and industrial sources in Mexico was observed over a significant portion of the Gulf of Mexico and the Bay of Campeche, where it was then seen extending northeast towards the Gulf Coast. This composite of smoke and aerosol was also seen covering areas of Central America and the Pacific ocean off the coast of southern Mexico and Central America this morning. Willkens 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