DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0000Z March 8, 2026
SMOKE: Eastern CONUS… Agricultural fires were detected this evening; however, widespread cloud cover across much of the eastern half of CONUS restricted most smoke plume visibility. From the Florida panhandle to North Carolina, multiple individual plumes of light-to-moderate density smoke became more visible as the clouds began to dissipate in the region and were observed drifting towards the northeast. In the Outer Banks, the three plumes of light-to-moderate density smoke were observed extending northeast into the Atlantic. Florida… In Dixie County, a fire was observed generating a light-to-heavy density smoke plume drifting west into the Gulf. In Polk County, a light-to-moderate smoke plume was observed extending towards the northeast before being obscured by clouds. Nebraska/Kansas… Multiple light-density smoke plumes located in eastern Nebraska and central Kansas were observed drifting towards the east. Cuba… A fire located on the western tip of Cuba generated light-density smoke plume drifting northwest into the eastern Gulf. AEROSOL/SMOKE: Mexico/Gulf of America/Central America/Pacific Ocean... Smoke from widespread fire activity, remnant smoke from previous days, and 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 southeastern Texas and southern Louisiana before dissipating. Smoke was also observed off the western and southern coasts of Mexico and Central America heading west before drifting further west offshore. 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