DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0105Z May 9, 2026
SMOKE: Florida... Agricultural fires near and north Lake Okeechobee were observed producing light- density smoke moving to the southeast. Washington... Scattered wildfires in southwestern Washington State were observed producing light to moderate density smoke drifting east-northeastward. Manitoba... Scattered wildfires in southern Manitoba were observed producing light-density smoke dispersing southeastward. Eastern Honduras/Northeastern Nicaragua... Wildfires were observed in eastern Honduras and northeastern Nicaragua producing light to moderate density smoke drifting to west-northwest. SMOKE/AEROSOL: Mexico/Pacific Ocean/Gulf of America/Central America... 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, with the northernmost extent being obscured by clouds from the frontal system over the southeastern United States, which is also acting to draw the smoke east-northeastward. Light-density smoke also extended across southern Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula, and Central America before drifting eastward into the Gulf of Honduras and southwestward into the Pacific. Large fires in Jalisco were observed producing moderate and heavy smoke that moved east-southeast within the state, ultimately merging with the larger light-density smoke plume. YL 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