DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0000Z January 3, 2026
SMOKE: Eastern Texas… Multiple plumes of light-to-moderate density smoke produced by fires located in eastern Texas were observed drifting towards the east. In particular, the heavy-density smoke plume produced by the fire in Henderson County, Texas was seen transitioning to light-to-moderate density smoke as it extended east towards northern Louisiana. Oklahoma Fires across Oklahoma were observed producing scattered plumes of light-to-heavy density smoke that remained in close vicinity to their respective fire sources. Southern Florida… Agricultural fires located south of Lake Okeechobee were observed producing an area of light-density smoke drifting east offshore into the Atlantic Ocean before it became obscured by heavy cloud cover. Sonora… Fires located in the Mexican state of Sonora were observed producing light-to-moderate density smoke drifting towards the northeast. AEROSOL/SMOKE: Mexico/Pacific Ocean… An area of light-density smoke, consisting of residual emissions from scattered fire activity and aerosols from urban and industrial sources, was observed along the Gulf Coast of Mexico, extending southward before it crossed over the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and drifted northwest along the coastline as well as south into the Pacific Ocean. 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