DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0035Z April 28, 2024

SMOKE:
Chihuahua(Mexico)/South-Central U.S....
Several plumes of light to medium density smoke were observed emanating
from suspected wildfires in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, creating a
mass of light density smoke which then dispersed northeast across the
Upper Rio Grande portion of the Texan border.

Cuba...
An area of light density smoke was observed dispersing southwest into the
Caribbean sea from from central Cuba as the evening progressed.

AEROSOL/SMOKE:
Central-Southern Mexico/Gulf of Mexico/Yucatan Peninsula/Central
America/Cuba/Pacific Ocean...
A large area of predominantly light to moderate density smoke attributed
to widespread seasonal fire activity throughout central-southern
Mexico,Central America,the Yucatan Peninsula, Cuba, and northern South
America was observed this evening extending from the Gulf of Mexico and
the Yucatan Peninsula, through central-southern Mexico, Central America
and into the Pacific Ocean off the southwest coastline of Mexico. Areas
of higher density smoke and aerosols were observed over the Bay of
Campeche, Yucatan Peninsula and the southwestern coastlines of Mexico
and Guatemala. Aerosols from a composite of volcanic emissions and
industrial sources in Mexico, and gas flaring activity in the Bay of
Campeche contributed to the expansive area of aerosol/smoke observed
throughout these regions.

BLOWING DUST:
New Mexico/Texas...
A band of blowing dust was observed originating in the southeast corner
of New Mexico, drifting eastwards into the southern portion of the
Texan panhandle.

Willkens


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 map: https://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.