Monday, August 15, 2005

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THRU 1800Z August 15, 2005

Alaska/Canada/northern U.S.:
Numerous very large fires burning across west central to east central
Alaska continue to produce huge amounts of smoke which have spread both
westward and southeastward. Some of the smoke has drifted westward
across western Alaska and over the Bering Strait and Bering Sea into
the Chukchi Peninsula of eastern Russia. Dense smoke exists closer to
the actual fires across a good portion of central Alaska. Mid and upper
level winds have also picked up some of the smoke and transported it
southeastward across British Columbia and over the southern portions of
the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and
western Quebec (just south of Hudson Bay). The smoke then becomes very
thin and diffuse likely mixing with haze across Quebec Province. This area
of smoke also has spread southward into the northern U.S. affecting much
of Montana, North Dakota, the northern half of Minnesota and Wisconsin,
and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The siginficant fires burning across
southeastern Washington, northeastern Oregon, north central Idaho, and
western Montana are also responsible for an area of smoke this morning
which was visible across this region extending eastward in a thin ribbon
across north central Wyoming, western South Dakota (around the Black
Hills), and eventually merging with the larger area of smoke further
north over North Dakota.

 


Unless otherwise indicated:
  • Areas of smoke are analyzed using GOES-EAST and GOES-WEST Visible satellite imagery.
  • Only a general description of areas of smoke or significant smoke plumes will be analyzed.
  • A quantitative assessment of the density/amount of particulate or the vertical distribution is not included.
  • Widespread cloudiness may prevent the detection of smoke even from significant fires.