DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0215Z AUGUST 14, 2008
Northern California: Several fires in the northwestern region of the state, in Trinity, Shasta, Del Norte, and Siskiyou counties, are producing moderately dense to dense smoke plumes. These plumes were moving to the southwest earlier today, however they are now advancing towards the northwest. In addition, light smoke covers most of the northern to central region of the state north of 37N. Northwest US/Upper Plains/Canada: A narrow band of SO2 around FL310 stretches east across southern Oregon, southern Idaho, northern Utah, souther Wyoming, western Nebraska, and then bends northward/northwestward into the Dakotas, and eastern Montana. Furthermore, fires in northern Canada around the Great Slave Lake are producing immense amounts of smoke. Lighter smoke is being pulled down around a low pressure system, situated over southern Saskatchewan, from northern Alberta southward into eastern Montana and North Dakota. Some residual SO2 may also be mixed in with the smoke, especially in parts of North Dakota and southern parts of Canada. Canada: Residual light smoke from yesterday is still found over Hudson Bay. In addition, because clouds broke up this afternoon, several plumes over northern Saskatchewan are producing moderately dense to dense smoke plumes. These plumes are currently moving to the north and northwest into the southern areas of the Northwest Territories. Idaho: In Elmore County, a moderately dense smoke plume is heading to the southeast and extends out 40km. Another moderately dense smoke plume, along the border of Idaho and Valley counties, is advancing east into extreme western Montana. Washington State: A moderately dense smoke plume in Okanogan County in the north-central region of the state, is heading to the south and extends out 75-100km. RCE