Thursday, November 20, 2025

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0000Z November 21, 2025

SMOKE:
Southeastern United States…
Continued agricultural burning in the Southeastern United States
contributed to an accumulation of light-density smoke from Louisiana
to the Carolinas. The smoke extended over the northern portion of the
Gulf of America and Florida as it moved east offshore into the Atlantic
Ocean. Additional light smoke appeared to drift south along Mexico’s
Gulf coast, merging with the area of light-density smoke extending from
Mexico’s eastern coastline.

Florida…
Agricultural fires in southern Florida produced multiple plumes of
light-density smoke which dispersed to the west, drifting into the Gulf
of America and mixing with the larger area of light-density smoke extended
over the Gulf from the Southeastern United States.

Washington State/Idaho…
Wildfires in northeastern Washington and northern Idaho were observed
producing light-density smoke plumes that drifted towards the east.

AEROSOL/SMOKE:
Mexico/Pacific Ocean…
An area of light-density smoke, consisting primarily of aerosols from
gas flaring and other urban industrial activity across Mexico, mixed with
additional emissions from scattered fire activity in the region and smoke
remnants from previous days’ activities, was observed dispersing into
the Pacific Ocean off the western and southern coastline of Mexico. Light
smoke dispersing south from the United States  also contributed to the
area of light smoke drifting off Mexico’s eastern coastline into the
Gulf of America.

GL



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:http://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.