DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0300Z October 22, 2005
Southern Canada: A handful of significant fires across the southern and southeastern portions of Ontario Province continue to produce thick smoke plumes which extended 30 to 60 miles to the ENE of the fires. Southern US (Texas to Georgia): Widespread fires were detected across the South and Southeast this afternoon and early evening. Some cloudiness was present over a portion of this region which limited the amount of smoke detected. However, skies were rather clear across Louisiana and Texas. A number of fairly large smoke plumes were analyzed particularly over western Louisiana and southeastern Texas. Large smoke plumes were observed moving southeastward and offshore from fires burning in or near the Anahuac Wildlife Refuge in Chambers County, the Brazoria Wildlife Refuge in Brazoria County, and close to Port O'Conner in Calhoun County. California/Oregon/Washington: Fires scattered along the entire length of the western portion of the Olympic Peninsula of Washington were emitting smoke which was spreading in a NNW direction. Several fires burning in the Ochoco National Forest and the Malheur National Forest of central and eastern Oregon were responsible for locally dense smoke plumes which were moving northwestward. Similar smoke plumes were detected moving northward or northwestward from fires across southwestern and southern Oregon, including ones located in western Curry and Coos Counties as well as in the Winema National Forest and the Fremont National Forest. Scattered fires along the western slopes of the northern and central Sierras in northern and central California were also producing fairly significant smoke plumes which were moving generally in a northward direction. One of these fires located over south central El Dorado County was responsible for an area of smoke which may be nearing the western part of Lake Tahoe. A cluster of fires detected in the Sacramento Valley were emitting an area of smoke which was swirling in a counter-clockwise direction. JS