DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1630Z UTC August 8, 2007
Northwestern US/Southern Canada/North Central US: A large mass of smoke from the ongoing wildfires burning in central and eastern Oregon, central Idaho, and western Montana was visible this morning moving to the east across the remainder of Montana, northern Wyoming, the Dakotas, Minnesota, western Wisconsin, and the extreme western portion of Lake Superior. The smoke, which was believed to be of at least a moderate density with localized dense patches, also extended north of the US-Canadian border and over the southern portions of Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario provinces. Cloud cover across areas of the northern and central Plains interfered with the detection and attributes of some of the smoke there. California: An are of thin to locally moderately dense smoke was observed fanning out to the south and east from the persistent Zaca fire burning in eastern Santa Barbara County of southern California. The smoke covered portions of Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, and southern Kern Counties as well as a number of the offshore islands. Middle Atlantic Region/Southeast: An extensive area of haze covers the region stretching from the Middle Atlantic coast and offshore waters southwestward through the Carolinas, Georgia, and eastern Alabama to Florida and the western Bahamas. The haze appeared to be of at least moderate density with restrictions in surface visibility noted in weather observations from across the region. Some residual smoke from the western US wildfires along with other atmospheric pollutants are likely responsible for this haze which has become trapped under a large sprawling high pressure ridge. JS