DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1500Z May 2, 2026
SMOKE: CONUS… Widespread fires were detected across CONUS this morning; however, minimal smoke plumes were detected via satellite imagery. Cuba… Fires in central Cuba were observed producing individual light-density smoke plumes that drifted north. SMOKE/AEROSOL: Mexico/Pacific Ocean/Gulf of America/Central America/Gulf Coast of CONUS… Smoke from fire activity across southern Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula, aerosol emissions from gas flaring and other industrial activities, as well as remnant smoke from previous days contributed to a widespread layer of light-density smoke/aerosol traveling northeast along the clouds and across the Gulf before drifting into the Atlantic. Light-density smoke also extended across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and east into Central America before drifting into the Pacific off the southern coasts of Mexico and Central America. A medium-density layer of smoke was also seen extending north from the Mexican Coastal Plain into the western Gulf. 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