DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0045Z January 16, 2007

California:
A fire in western San Luis Obispo County of southwestern California was
emitting a significant area of light to locally moderately dense smoke
which was moving generally to the southwest and offshore. As the area of
smoke moved offshore, it also fanned out quite a bit to the north and
south and in the process it possibly affected the southwestern portion
of Monterey County as well as the western portion of Ventura County. A
cluster of fires mainly centered in Colusa and Glenn Counties of central
California were producing relatively quick bursts of thin smoke which
rapidly moved southward through the Sacramento Valley just west of the
city of Sacramento. Small puffs of thin smoke were also observed moving
to the south from fires in southern Imperial County of far southern
California and just over the border in northern Baja. Visible satellite
imagery through late afternoon/early evening also appeared to show some
relatively small streaks of blowing dust off the coast of southwestern
California as well as over the northern Gulf of California. Gusty
northeasterly winds blowing across southern California and northern Baja
were responsible for kicking up this dust.

JS

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.