Sunday, August 26, 2007

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


 


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.