DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0000Z February 16, 2026
SMOKE: Iowa… A few small plumes from scattered agricultural fires were observed across Iowa and northern Missouri. Smoke dispersed to the southeast towards Illinois. Florida… Agricultural fires in southern and central Florida persisted with light-to-moderate smoke plumes produced which drifted northeast. Cuba… Seasonal fire activity continued across Cuba. Many individual plumes were observed which merged into a wall of light smoke that drifted northeast towards Florida and the Bahamas. AEROSOL/SMOKE: Mexico/Gulf of America/Pacific Ocean... An area of light-to-moderate smoke from seasonal fire activity and industrial aerosol emissions gathered over central Mexico, concentrated near the coast in the southwestern Gulf. Smoke spread into the Pacific to the west, as well as to the northeast over the Gulf of America, reaching Florida. Mills 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