DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0045Z APRIL 26, 2009
Western Gulf of Mexico: The daily fires in the vicinity of the Yucatan Peninsula and central Mexico have produced a large low to moderate density smoke plume that extends over much of the Bay of Campeche and the western Gulf of Mexico. At sunset, the smoke plume was seen extending into the coastal counties of Texas and perhaps far southwestern Louisiana. Eastern and Central Gulf of Mexico: A thin area of smoke that is believed to have originated from the wildfire over central Collier county in southern Florida was approaching the central Gulf Coast and was centered roughly near the mouth of the Mississippi. A second area of moderately dense smoke was seen extending from the point source over Collier county about 200 miles westward into the southeast Gulf of Mexico. Four-Corners Region: The vigorous weather system now crossing through the region has helped to kick up a large area of blowing dust that appeared to originate over northeast Arizona and extend through northwest New Mexico and into central Colorado. Hanna THE FORMAT OF THIS TEXT PRODUCT IS BEING MODIFIED. IT WILL NO LONGER DESCRIBE THE VARIOUS PLUMES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH ACTIVE FIRES. THESE PLUMES ARE DEPICTED IN VARIOUS GRAPHIC FORMATS ON OUR WEB SITE: JPEG: http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/FIRE/hms.html GIS: http://www.firedetect.noaa.gov/viewer.htm KML: http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/FIRE/kml.html THIS TEXT PRODUCT WILL CONTINUE TO DESCRIBE SIGNIFICANT AREAS OF SMOKE WHICH HAVE BECOME DETACHED FROM AND DRIFTED SOME DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE SOURCE FIRE, TYPICALLY OVER THE COURSE OF ONE OR MORE DAYS. IT WILL ALSO STILL INCLUDE DESCRIPTIONS OF BLOWING DUST. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING THESE CHANGES OR THE SMOKE TEXT PRODUCT IN GENERAL SHOULD BE SENT TO SSDFireTeam@noaa.gov