DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0300Z MAY 6, 2009
Western/Central Gulf of Mexico: Thin to moderately dense smoke from fires in Mexico and Central America over the past day or two was seen this evening across most of the western Gulf of Mexico spreading northward and northwestward into coastal areas of Texas and Louisiana. Thin smoke had also started to wrap back southward from the Louisiana coast in the north central Gulf of Mexico. Thin to moderately dense smoke was also observed lifting northward from active fires in the northern Yucatan Peninsula. Cuba/Eastern Gulf of Mexico: Remnant thin smoke was seen spreading westward and northwestward from western Cuba to the central Gulf of Mexico. Eastern Canada: Remnant thin smoke was seen moving across Newfoundland this evening that likely originated from fires in the southern regions of Saskatchewan and Manitoba several days ago. Southern California: A large wildfire near Santa Barbara, California was producing moderately dense to very dense smoke that originally was spreading southeastward along the coast but since 0000Z the smoke within the plume has been moving mostly due south. -Sheffler 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