Texas Smoke May 21-25, 2008
Images
- Backward Air Trajectory 21st
- Backward Air Trajectory 22nd
- Backward Air Trajectory 23rd
- Backward Air Trajectory 24th
- Backward Air Trajectory 25th
- Satellite Composite Gulf of Mexico 22nd 6:08 pm CDT
- Satellite Composite Gulf of Mexico 23rd 6:08 pm CDT
- Satellite Composite Gulf of Mexico 24th 6:08 pm CDT
- Satellite Composite Gulf of Mexico 25th 6:08 pm CDT
- Satellite Animation Gulf of Mexico 21st
- Satellite Animation Gulf of Mexico 22nd
- Satellite Animation Gulf of Mexico 23rd
- Satellite Animation Gulf of Mexico 24th
- Satellite Animation Gulf of Mexico 25th
- Satellite Image Mexico 20th 11:40 am CDT - Indicated Fires Red
- Satellite Image Mexico 20th 2:45 pm CDT - Indicated Fires Red
- Satellite Image Mexico 21st 12:20 pm CDT - Indicated Fires Red
- Satellite Image Mexico 21st 1:50 pm CDT - Indicated Fires Red
- Satellite Image Mexico 22nd 11:25 am CDT - Indicated Fires Red
- Satellite Image Mexico 22nd 2:35 pm CDT - Indicated Fires Red
- Satellite Image Mexico 23rd 12:10 pm CDT - Indicated Fires Red
- Satellite Image Mexico 24th 11:15 am CDT - Indicated Fires Red
- Satellite Image Mexico 24th 2:20 pm CDT - Indicated Fires Red
- Satellite Image Mexico 25th 12:05 pm CDT - Indicated Fires Red
- Satellite Image Mexico 25th 3:05 pm CDT - Indicated Fires Red
Description
Smoke from agricultural burning in Mexico and Central America covered most of South Texas Texas from Wednesday May 21st through Sunday May 25th. The smoke spread across most of the eastern half of the state on the 22nd and 23rd and continued in South, Central, and North Central Texas on the 24th, and was mainly in West Texas and western portions of South Texas on the 25th.
The highest daily average PM2.5 measurement during this event was 32.1 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³) at the North Padre Island Continuous Ambient Monitoring Station (CAMS) 314 on the 22nd. 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 across most of the affected areas on all five days. The highest one-hour average PM2.5 measured was 70.8 µg/m³ at Laredo CAMS 313 for the hour beginning 8:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT) on May 23rd, although this measurement likely included a substantial local component. Most peak hourly PM2.5 measurements were in the 30 to 50 µg/m³ range in the affected areas.
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 20th through the 25th. Fire channel satellite imagery shows numerous large fires in southeastern Mexico and Central America on the 20th through the 25th as well.
