DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0145Z UTC August 27, 2007
Montana/Idaho/Wyoming/Northern and Central Plains/Upper Mississippi Valley: Massive dense smoke plumes continue to originate from wildfires in central and south central Idaho and western Montana. The dense smoke plumes during the day moved primarily in an east-northeast direction across central to eastern Idaho, much of western and central Montana, and northwestern Wyoming. Smoke of varying density also extended well to the east-northeast across the remainder of Montana, northern and eastern Wyoming, the Dakotas, northern Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, western Wisconsin, and the western part of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and western Lake Superior. Within this large batch of smoke well downwind from the fires, the most dense portion (moderately dense to locally dense) covered eastern Montana, northern and eastern Wyoming, northern South Dakota, North Dakota, and northern Minnesota. California/Nevada: Widespread cloudiness was present over south central California for the entire day which prevented detection of smoke associated with the long duration Zaca fire burning in Santa Barbara County of southern California. A fire in southeastern Madera County in east central California was emitting a moderately dense to dense smoke plume which move to the northeast during the late afternoon and evening. Late in the day, a fire was detected in northeastern San Bernardino County of southeastern California. For a short time prior to sunset, a thin to moderately dense smoke plume was visible moving to the northeast toward southern Nevada. Another fire detected late in the day was located close to the Elko-Eureka County border in north central Nevada. However, cloudiness lingered over the fire preventing any smoke detection from satellite imagery. Finally, more blowing dust/sand from the dry lake beds in western Nevada and northwestern Nevada was visible moving to the east-northeast across northern Nevada. Alaska: Moderately dense to locally dense smoke from a fire southeast of Umiat Alaska north of the Brooks Range was spreading to the south and southwest during the afternoon. Fires between Circle and Fort Yukon in eastern Alaska were producing a moderately dense to dense smoke plume that moved just slightly south of due west. Hawaii: A hot spot likely associated with a relatively new vent located a bit farther to the north than the typical persistent Kilauea hot spot appeared to be occasionally emitting smoke as it burned nearby vegetation. Not much information could be obtained concerning the smoke plume from satellite imagery due to other cloudiness in the region. The possible smoke plume was moving mainly in a westerly direction. JS