March 8, 2013
Moderate AQI over Plain States and Mississippi Valley, Fires in Southeast
As shown in the first figure, taken from the US EPA's AIRNow website, moderate levels of the PM 2.5 were reported in the center of the country along the Plain States region and along the southern Mississippi Valley region. A significant patch of code orange (unhealthy for sensitive groups) was reported on the Florida panhandle, extending into Georgia. Smaller patches of moderate level PM2.5 were reported in the Rocky Mountain States and the Great Lakes region.
As shown in the second figure, retrieved from NOAA's Hazard Mapping system, many fires burn throughout the southeastern United States and Mississippi Valley. The patch of code orange in the Florida panhandle is likely caused by these fires. The Hazard Mapping System also shows a smoke plume off the Gulf coast of Florida. Smaller smoke plumes were reported over the Mississippi river valley.
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