DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1700Z March 19, 2024

SMOKE:
Central United States...
An area of mostly thin density smoke attributed to moderate seasonal
burning was observed this morning from central Texas to the northeast
throughout the Midwest region, expanding over Louisiana, Arkansas,
Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Illinois. This smoke is likely remnant
smoke from yesterday’s moderate to heavy plumes that were seen
throughout this region, and as a mass generally continued to move
east/southeast.

AEROSOL/SMOKE:
Gulf of Mexico/Yucatan Peninsula/Florida/Cuba/Caribbean Sea/Pacific
Ocean south of Mexico/Central America...
A large area of predominantly light 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 to the east over the
southern tip of the Florida peninsula, extending north along the Coastal
Atlantic. This composite of smoke and aerosol was also observed covering
Cuba, the Caribbean Sea, and 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

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.