DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0130Z August 31, 2007
SE PA: A fire in far SE PA near the MD/DE state lines is producing a very thin plume of thin smoke that extends due south to the MD state line though the plume has turned clockwise in direction throughout the day. SE US/Atlantic Ocean: A very thin pocket of remnant smoke from Idaho/Montana fires along with some haze/pollutants can be seen moving SE off the SC coastline into the Atlantic Ocean then curving back S and SW to western FL centered around West Palm Beach. Most of this smoke is very difficult to see since it is mixing out quickly even with low sun angle. Great Plains (KS to SD): Smoke from yesterday's ID/MT burning has drifted out into the Great Plains and has slowed down and started to drop southward. The largest pocket of moderately dense smoke covers much of the NE and central SD and is very slowly making the turn from due east to southward movement. A second area or arc of moderate smoke is at the leading edge of the upper level flow across S KS, arching back to around KC, an associated more dense pocket can be seen moving across the NE/KS line near Gage and Marshall counties. Wyoming: A large fire on the western side of the Northern Bighorn Mtns in N WY is producing dense smoke that covers all of Sheridan county as it moves ENE. The leading edge of thinner smoke has reached the MT/SD line just north of WY. The plume is over 100km wide at its widest point over N WY/SE MT and has been mixing with the larger area of moderate/dense smoke that is described below in the ID/MT section. Idaho/Montana (SW ND too): Similar to most evenings this summer, the large fire complexes of the central ID mtns and NW mtns of MT continue to pump out very dense smoke that is moving ENE covering nearly all of MT (except extreme NW MT where there are no fires) and all of central ID from S Clearwater county in the north to central Custer county in the south and from western Valley county to MT. A small extension of moderately dense smoke extends across the SW ΒΌ of ND as well. A large blow up of convectively dense smoke from a fire just SE of Mesa in Adams county extends ENE (about 60km) to the large fires in western Valley county in a 25km wide plume. Oregon: An amazing abundance of agricultural fires which started about the same time around 21Z in the the Willamette valley of from the Lane county line to northern portions of Marion county is currently producing multiple puffs/plumes of smoke that have combined into a large area of thin to moderately dense smoke that is moving NE and covers all of the western Cascade slope counties of Multnomah, Clackamas, Marion, Linn with portions of Hood River (OR), Clark (WA) and Skamania (WA) counties as well. Washington: The Domke Lake Complex is producing convectively dense smoke that extends NE in a 36km wide plume that reaches the CN boarder near the intersection of Okanogan and Ferry counties. This smoke mixes at this point with the western portion of a fan of moderate to dense smoke from a new fire on the western portions of the Colville Reservation south of Okanogan near Omak Lake. The fan is about 35 km wide but centered from the fire to the CN boarder near 118W. California: A fire near the San Mateo/Santa Cruz/Santa Clara intersection is producing a narrow plume (10km) of moderate smoke that is moving NE to around Lodi and Stockton. The Wallow fire in western Trinity county is producing dense smoke that is moving NNE and covering nearly all of the central and northern portions of the county. Hawai'i: New lava flow from July 21st Fissure of Kilauea volcanic field is burning a small patch of trees that is producing thin smoke which is mixing with Fume and Vog and extends SW and curls around the southern portion of Hawai'i (island). Alaska: Large fire near 69N150.5W is producing thin smoke that is moving due south into the Brooks Range and up the Nanushuk River Valley. The plume is about 20-40km wide. A fire near 66.4N143.9W is producing thin to moderate smoke that is moving S then turning SSE. The plume extends about 60km in a line on average about 20km wide. Gallina: