DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0000Z March 5, 2026
SMOKE: Southeastern CONUS… Widespread cloud cover was present across much of southeastern CONUS this evening. Despite this, many smoke plumes from agricultural fires were observed along the Gulf Coast states from Louisiana to Florida, as well as Georgia and North Carolina. Individual light-density smoke plumes were especially concentrated in southeastern Alabama and central Georgia. Smoke in this region concentrated into localized plumes, eventually merging into a large light-density smoke plume that was discernible from the heavy cloud cover. Nebraska… Multiple fires were observed in central Nebraska this evening producing individual smoke plumes. Moderate-to-heavy density smoke was observed from fires located near the border of Loup and Garfield Counties, extending further east into neighboring counties. Another moderate-density smoke plume originated in eastern Lincoln County, traveling northeast and merging with other plumes. AEROSOL/SMOKE: Mexico/Gulf of America/Guatemala/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 across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, along the Mexican Gulf Coast, and north into the Gulf of America, reaching southern Texas before dissipating. Smoke was also observed a off the western and southern coasts of Mexico and Guatemala heading west into the Pacific Ocean. Gaskill 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