Monday, March 2, 2026

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0000Z March 3, 2026

SMOKE:

Southeastern CONUS…
Agricultural fires were active this evening in southeastern
CONUS. Multiple fires in western Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and
Louisiana were observed producing individual, light-density smoke plumes,
while larger fires in the region were observed producing heavy-to-moderate
smoke plumes that moved north. In Chattahoochee County, Georgia, a large
fire was observed producing heavy-to-moderate smoke that moved northwest
across the state line into Alabama. Another large fire in Walton County,
Alabama, was also observed producing heavy-to-moderate smoke moving
northwest, reaching Conecuh County. Multiple fires in western Alabama
were producing moderate smoke plumes, which ultimately merged into a
larger smoke plume that moved north and extended from Monroe County to
Winston County.

In Mississippi, three large fires in Wayne, Scott, and Chickasaw counties,
were observed producing heavy-to-moderate smoke that moved north. Lastly,
two large fires in Vernon Parish and Webster Parish counties were
observed producing heavy-to-moderate smoke that moved north before
shifting northeast.


AEROSOL/SMOKE:
Mexico/Gulf of America/Pacific Ocean...
Smoke from widespread fire activity and remnant smoke from previous days,
as well as aerosol emissions from gas flaring and other industrial
activities in central and southern Mexico, concentrated into a layer of
light density smoke that extended from the northeastern coast of Mexico,
across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, and into the Pacific Ocean.


Hernandez


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.