DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1500Z April 12, 2026
SMOKE: Eastern CONUS/Atlantic Ocean... Light smoke was observed blanketing an area from the Mid-Mississippi Valley and Great Lakes east southeastward to the Mid-Atlantic and out over the northeastern Atlantic Ocean thanks to a cyclone and frontal system centered over Newfoundland. The smoke is remnant from yesterdays burning across the southeastern CONUS, along with, perhaps, some contributions from burning from previous days. South Florida… Agricultural burning near and around Lake Okeechobee was observed this morning producing light smoke that was seen moving off toward the west. There may be slightly more smoke here than analyzed due to a high density of fair-weather cumulus that developed after sunrise that may impede smoke analysis. SMOKE/AEROSOL: Mexico/Gulf of America/Central America/Pacific Ocean... Remnant smoke from burning across southern Mexico and Central America over the past few days, coupled with aerosol emissions from gas flaring and other industrial activities in central and southern Mexico, has helped to spread as a layer of light-density smoke and aerosol that extended into the Bay of Campeche, across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, and along the southern coasts of Mexico and Central America before continuing southwestward into the Pacific. The layer of smoke and aerosol may also be getting drawn north as far as southern Texas, although there is some uncertainty due to cloud cover over Texas and northeastern Mexico. Hosley 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