May 12, 2008
Moderate PM in Florida, Southern Texas, and Southern California
It's another Monday with mostly good air quality across the U.S. There are a few outbreaks of moderate PM in southern California, southern Texas, and Florida. Code Yellow PM in Texas and Florida is probably due to outflow from fires that continue to burn in Mexico. A plume of haze and smoke that stretches from the Texas coast across the southern Gulf of Mexico and south Florida is visible in today's Aqua MODIS true color image. The 1815Z (2:15 PM EDT) GASP AOD image clearly shows elevated particulate concentrations from the smoke/haze plume across the southern Gulf of Mexico and Florida wrapping around the eastern side of the 992 mb low pressure system that brought flooding rains the the Washington, DC/Baltimore area today. Keep an eye on Florida tomorrow - the National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for most of the state. Very low humidities Tuesday afternoon will create the potential for explosive fire growth.
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