South Texas Smoke March 30 - April 1, 2008
Images
- Backward Air Trajectory 31st 7:00 am CDT
- Backward Air Trajectory 31st 1:00 pm CDT
- Backward Air Trajectory 31st 7:00 pm CDT
- Satellite Image Gulf of Mexico 29th 5:09 pm CDT
- Satellite Image Gulf of Mexico 30th 9:09 am CDT
- Satellite Image Gulf of Mexico 30th 5:09 pm CDT
- Satellite Image Gulf of Mexico 31st 9:09 am CDT
- Satellite Image Gulf of Mexico 31st 5:09 pm CDT
- Satellite Image Gulf of Mexico 1st 9:09 am CDT
- Satellite Image Gulf of Mexico 1st 5:09 pm CDT
- Satellite Image Mexico 29th 12:00 pm CDT - Indicated Fires Red
- Satellite Image Mexico 30th 2:15 pm CDT - Indicated Fires Red
- Satellite Image Mexico 31st 11:50 am CDT - Indicated Fires Red
Description
Smoke from agricultural burning in Mexico and Central America moved back into South Texas on Sunday March 30th and continued through Tuesday April 1st.
The highest daily average PM2.5 measurement during this event was 22.0 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³) at the Laredo Continuous Ambient Monitoring Station (CAMS) 313 on the 31st. This measurement rated as Moderate, on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Air Quality Index (AQI)
scale. PM2.5 measurements were in the "Moderate" range at most of the PM2.5 monitoring sites in South Texas on all three days. The highest one-hour average PM2.5 measured was 30.4 µg/m³ at Laredo CAMS 313 from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT) on the 31st.
Backward air trajectories indicate that the air came from Mexico and Central America. Satellite imagery also shows evidence of smoke in the western Gulf of Mexico on the 29th, 30th, 31st, and 1st. Fire channel satellite imagery shows numerous large fires in southeastern Mexico and Central America on the 29th, 30th, and 31st.
