DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 2330Z May 13, 2026
SMOKE: Central Canada/Midwestern CONUS… Scattered fires throughout southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Minnesota, and the Dakotas were observed producing smoke plumes ranging in various densities drifting generally towards the north and northeast. Kansas… A fire in Barber County, Kansas was observed generating a light-to-moderate density smoke plume moving towards the northwest. Southeastern CONUS… Widespread agricultural fires across the Southeastern United States were observed producing multiple individual, light-to-moderate density smoke plumes across the region. Smoke plumes in Texas, Louisiana, and southern Alabama generally drifted towards the south, while smoke plumes in central Mississippi and Alabama drifted towards the southeast. The smoke plumes eventually mixed with the large area of smoke extending northward from the Gulf. Carolinas… Fires in the Carolinas were seen producing light-density smoke plumes drifting towards the northeast. 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 across the Gulf into the Southeastern United States and continuing eastward over the Yucatan Peninsula and Central America before drifting into the Gulf of Honduras. Light-density smoke was also seen extending from the Mexican Gulf coast across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec before drifting into the Pacific off the coasts of Mexico and Central America. BLOWING DUST: Central Oregon… Strong winds were observed lofting dust from a dry lake bed located west of Mud Lake in central Oregon. The dust was transported east from the parent source. 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