DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0200Z March 04, 2025
SMOKE: Central and Southeastern United States... Agricultural burning was observed throughout the Central CONUS, Southeastern CONUS, and Mid-Atlantic this afternoon. Light to moderate smoke was seen emanating from this activity from northern Florida and eastern Alabama into southeastern Pennsylvania. Smoke across northern Florida and southern Georgia was moving westward, while smoke across northern Georgia and the Carolinas was moving northeastward and smoke across the Mid-Atlantic was moving eastward. Given the amount of fire activity detected across the central US from Arkansas to southern Minesota, it is highly likely that smoke is present. Smoke was analyzed across northern Mississippi moving north-northwestward, but any smoke present is likely moving north-northeastward to north-northwestward across the rest of the central CONUS Cuba… Burning activity across Cuba has been observed producing light to moderate smoke moving south to southwest from parent activity. The smoke extends halfway across the Caribbean across the Cayman Islands towards the Yucatan Peninsula. AEROSOL/SMOKE: Central and Southern Mexico/Pacific Ocean/Gulf of America/Bay of Campeche... An area of predominantly light density smoke and aerosols attributed to scattered agricultural burning, volcanic emissions and industrial sources throughout Central and Southern Mexico was observed this morning along the southwestern coast of Mexico near northern Central America where it was then seen extending further west into the Pacific Ocean before expanding east into the southwestern portion of the Gulf of America near the Bay of Campeche. An area of light smoke attributed to seasonal fire activity in the region was also seen in the Caribbean Sea off of the western coast of Cuba. BLOWING DUST: Northern Chihuahua/Southern & Central Plains… A storm system centered over northeastern New Mexico is kicking up an immense amount of dust from southern New Mexico and northern Chihuahua northeastward over West Texas, eastern New Mexico, the Oklahoma Panhandle, western Kansas, and southeastern Colorado. Southwestern CONUS/Far Northeastern Mexico… Dust is observed being picked up from sources across the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts and being transported south-southeastward across southern California, southwestern Arizona, Baja California, and Sonora. Baja California Peninsula… Blowing dust is also observed emanating from a source in extreme southwest Baja California that is being drawn southeastward along the peninsula into Baja California Sur. Hosley 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