DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0200 July 31, 2007
Northern Rockies/High Plains: A huge area of dense to very dense smoke from numerous fires over central Idaho and western Montana is seen covering much of Montana, the southern half of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, southwest Ontario and eastern Wyoming. The most dense part of the plume extends from north central Wyoming across eastern Montana into southeast Saskatchewan and southwest Manitoba. Moderately dense smoke also curls to the southeast across northeast Colorado and along the Kansas/Nebraska border. Light to moderate dense smoke from these fires also covers much of northwest North Dakota. Extensive cloudiness over the fires in Idaho is preventing a good assessment of the extent of smoke over the state. Additional fires in southeast British Columbia are producing narrow plumes of moderate to dense smoke that is racing to the east-northeast across the Continental Divide and into southern Alberta. California: Dense smoke is seen with the fire complex in western Siskiyou county in northern California and is mainly confined to western Siskiyou county. Light smoke from the past several days stretches across much of far northern California and southern Oregon. The central Santa Barbara county fire has produced a plume of moderate to dense smoke that extends northeast across western and central Kern county into central Tulare. A broad area of light to moderate smoke has also spread south and east and covers the Channel Islands and further south over the Pacific as well as most of Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange and western Riverside and San Diego counties. Oregon/Washington: A couple of quick puffs over western Adams county in Washington spread small plumes of thin smoke quickly to the east. A fire in northeast Grant county Oregon has developed and is producing a narrow plume of light to locally moderate smoke that extends to the southeast and reaches northern Malheur. A blaze in western Jefferson county in Oregon has a narrow plume of thin smoke that extends to the east. Pennsylvania and the Ohio Valley: Residual smoke from previous days has settled into this region and mixed with haze. This area of light to moderate smoke stretches from east to west across central Pennsylvania and then bends back to the southwest across southeast Ohio, much of Kentucky and into central Tennessee. The smoke then thins a bit as it continues into northern Alabama and northwest Georgia. Iowa: Residual light smoke from the western fires is seen covering much Iowa and adjoining areas of Nebraska and northwest Missouri. Northwest Canada: A few fires over the northern Yukon and western Northwest Territory were west of Great Bear Lake. They were producing moderate to dense smoke that is now drifting to the east and covers the western half of the lake. A couple of fire in east central Alaska near Fort Yukon appear to be producing moderate smoke plumes that are moving to the east, however extensive cloudiness is hindering accurate smoke assessment. Ruminski