DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 2330Z May 3, 2026
SMOKE: Midwestern CONUS… Fires in the Midwestern United States were observed generating light-density smoke plumes drifting towards east the southeast. Arizona… A fire in Maricopa County, Arizona was observed producing a light-to-moderate density smoke plume traveling north across the state. Northwestern CONUS… Multiple fires in Washington State, Idaho, and western Montana were observed producing individual, light-to-moderate density smoke plumes moving towards the east and south. Oklahoma… A light-to-moderate smoke plumes generated by a fire in Woodward County, Oklahoma was seen extending northeast into south-central Kansas. Nayarit… Two fires in the Mexican state of Nayarit were observed producing light-to-moderate density smoke plumes extending eastward. SMOKE/AEROSOL: Mexico/Pacific Ocean/Gulf of America/Central America… Despite significant cloud cover, smoke from fire activity, 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 that was observed extending north into the Gulf and continuing eastward into the Yucatan Peninsula and Central America before drifting into the Gulf of Honduras. Light-density smoke also extended across southern Mexico before drifting into the Pacific off the coasts of Mexico and Central America. 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