Smoke from the southern wildfires...

[Thundersnow]

Has everyone noticed how hazy it is today?

There are statements from southern Alabama about smoke from the wildfires in GA and FL causing hazy, smokey conditions.  Could it be spreading this far north?

[Thundersnow]

It does appear to be the smoke:

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
244 PM CDT MON MAY 14 2007

.DISCUSSION...

MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES WERE OCCURRING OVER THE MID SOUTH THIS
AFTERNOON WITH TEMPERATURES MAINLY IN THE LOWER TO MID 80S.
SURFACE DEW POINTS WERE RELATIVELY LOW ACROSS THE WHOLE AREA WITH
THE EXCEPTION OF NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI WHERE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE
HAS WORKED ITS WAY IN. SOME HAZY CONDITIONS WERE ALSO OCCURRING
OVER THIS AREA DUE TO SMOKE FROM FIRES IN FL AND GA. SOME OF THE
SMOKE CAN BE SEEN ON VIS SAT IMAGES.

[Ron_Jarrell]

Interesting! I went out on the dock to take a break and noticed the haze. I took a sniff and looked around because it was so dense I thought someone was burning something. I guess it is smoke from the wildfires. Kewl.

[servocrow]

I was wondering about the haze/clouds/earlier..The winds are coming from the south...and that is the only thing down there...

Observations are showing Sunny and MOSTLY Sunny...

Can't even find anything in the Fire Weather stats...It seems like the heat was filter..Nice breeze today..

**************************************************

Well so much for that interrupted POST that I didn't pay attention to...

It was still up on my screen

[CookevilleWeatherGuy]

Makes me glad we don't live any closer to those affected areas! 

[Thundersnow]

There are widespread reports of people smelling smoke across Alabama today.  The smoke apparently extends into southern Middle TN.  I think this morning's storms in the Nashville metro area may have cleared the air a bit here... though there is some haze outside my window... not like yesterday though.


This is fascinating to me.

[servocrow]

It is really bad in my neck of the woods and I can smell it today whereas I could not yesterday.

Will be glad to get some rains to wash it out.  I remember how bad the skies got in FL when we had a time with Wildfires when we lived there as well...The skies would get very dark.

Icky...

[Thundersnow]

The smoke is back across much of the Southeast.  It is pretty thick in the air as close as north Alabama, so I hear... from the ongoing fires in GA/FL.

Look for it creep up into southern Middle TN as well.

Air quality was said to be a concern in Middle TN for ozone today anyway.

Breathe easy... 

[CookevilleWeatherGuy]

With a nice, southerly breeze...I can see how the smoke could be pushed into our area.

[servocrow]

Special Weather Statement

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
1125 AM CDT WED MAY 23 2007

MSZ001>017-020>024-TNZ001>004-019>021-048>055-088>092-232100-
ALCORN-BENTON-CALHOUN-CARROLL-CHESTER-CHICKASAW-COAHOMA-CROCKETT-
DECATUR-DESOTO-DYER-FAYETTE-GIBSON-HARDEMAN-HARDIN-HAYWOOD-HENDERSON-
HENRY-ITAWAMBA-LAFAYETTE-LAKE-LAUDERDALE-LEE(MS)-MADISON-MARSHALL-
MCNAIRY-MONROE-OBION-PANOLA-PONTOTOC-PRENTISS-QUITMAN-SHELBY-
TALLAHATCHIE-TATE-TIPPAH-TIPTON-TISHOMINGO-TUNICA-UNION-WEAKLEY-
YALOBUSHA-
1125 AM CDT WED MAY 23 2007

...CONSIDERABLE SMOKE AFFECTING PORTIONS OF THE MID SOUTH....

SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS HAVE SPREAD SMOKE FROM WILDFIRES IN GEORGIA
OVER MUCH OF WEST TENNESSEE AND NORTH MISSISSIPPI. THIS SMOKE
IS CREATING A THICK HAZE IN MANY LOCATIONS. THIS SMOKE COULD LINGER
THROUGH THURSDAY AND INTO FRIDAY. INDIVIDUALS WITH RESPIRATORY
PROBLEMS ARE ADVISED TO REMAIN INDOORS UNTIL THE SMOKE DISPERSES.

$$

VALLE

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN
1057 AM CDT WED MAY 23 2007

TNZ005>007-022>026-056>060-093>095-232000-
STEWART-MONTGOMERY-ROBERTSON-BENTON-HOUSTON-HUMPHREYS-DICKSON-
CHEATHAM-PERRY-HICKMAN-LEWIS-WILLIAMSON-MAURY-WAYNE-LAWRENCE-
GILES-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...DOVER...CLARKSVILLE...SPRINGFIELD...
CAMDEN...ERIN...WAVERLY...DICKSON...ASHLAND CITY...
KINGSTON SPRINGS...LINDEN...LOBELVILLE...CENTERVILLE...
HOHENWALD...FRANKLIN...BRENTWOOD...COLUMBIA...WAYNESBORO...
LAWRENCEBURG...PULASKI
1057 AM CDT WED MAY 23 2007

DENSE SMOKE WILL AFFECT AREAS OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE GENERALLY WEST OF
INTERSTATE 65 AT LEAST INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON. THE SMOKE IS
EMANATING FROM FOREST FIRES FAR UPSTREAM. VISIBILITIES ARE BEING
RESTRICTED SIGNIFICANTLY DUE TO THE SMOKE. IN SOME LOCATIONS,
ESPECIALLY NEAR THE ALABAMA STATE LINE, VISIBILITIES AS LOW AS A
MILE HAVE BEEN OBSERVED. THE SMOKE IS EXPECTED TO DISSIPATE
SOMEWHAT BY MID AFTERNOON AS WIND SPEEDS INCREASE

[Ron_Jarrell]

Can anyone else remember this much of a smoke problem in Mid TN from Deep South fires? I can't and I've been in Nashville 31 years. Unless I was just too busy playing with G.I. Joe's to notice or sumthin.

[Thundersnow]

For one thing, I think the fires are pretty unprecedented.  There have been fires further south in Florida before.  But, I think it is more unusual to see the fires they've been seeing as far north as southern Georgia.


I don't remember anything quite like this before either.  But, then again, I was playing with Star Wars action figures and Transformers while you were busy with your G.I. Joe. 

[CookevilleWeatherGuy]

Ron:

We've had several fires here on the Plateau that made the area smell like smoke in the last 32 years that I've lived in this area.  Probably a rarity for sure though.

[Ron_Jarrell]

GOES FireWx Daily Image from 5/22

[Thundersnow]

Interesting how the smoke curves like the on the satellite picture... veering winds, I suppose.