DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0045Z OCTOBER 25, 2008
Coastal TX/LA: Numerous ag fires along the coastal counties of SE TX and LA from Galveston Bay to New Orleans as well as fires along the Mississippi River north through Baton Rouge and the tip of SW MS were producing puffs and narrow plumes of thin smoke that moved south into the Gulf of Mexico. Most were about 4km wide and extend about 20-40km. The largest fire/plume was one over S Jefferson county, TX that extended about 50km and was about 5-7km wide. A fire in N Walker county, TX produced a fan of smoke that moved due E across NE Walker, N San Jacinto, E Polk and SW Trinity counties. Panhandle of TX: A few ag fires over Castro county, TX produced thin puffs of smoke that generally moved NE though smoke from a fire in the SE portion of the county drifted ESE. The puffs affected nearby counties but where generally about 3km by 5km in size. A few ag fires over Sherman, Hansford, and Hutchinson county similarly produced puffs of moderate smoke that rapidly moved southward across the same counties as well as E Moore and into N Carson county. The puffs were a bit larger maybe 5km by 5km in size. New Mexico: A fire in the mountains north of Silver City in Grant county produced a plume of thin smoke that moved E then SE as it was blocked by the Black and Mimbers Range. The plume covered the valley. Arizona: The Marteen fire in S Coconino county was producing a plume of thin to moderate smoke that extends toward the SE about 45km and is about 7km wide. The end of the plume is mixing with smoke from a new fire just SW of it near Williams or Bill Williams Mtn. This fire is producing a much thicker smoke that is more in the moderate to dense category. This plume is moving SSE in a 15km wide thicker area that fans into a thinner area covering a large portion of S Coconino, all of the eastern 1/3rd of Yavapai county into extreme NE Maricopa county. California: The Kings Canyon Nat'l Park fire continues to produce thin smoke that is wafting around the Middle Fork Kings River Valley both east and west in the park. The smoke does not extend very far from its source... no more than 20-25km. Two ag fires in NE Colusa counties have produced thin plumes of smoke that are moving SSE covering E Colusa and Sutter counties. Neither plume is more than 5km wide. The fire on the SW Shasta/W Lassen county line is producing thin smoke in a 7km wide plume that extends about 40km SW into the valley. A fire near Chimney Rock in W Siskiyou county is producing a small fan shaped area that is no larger than 15km by 15km. Oregon: Agricultural fires in N Coos, E Douglas and E Lane are producing thin smoke plumes that curve in wave patterns as they drift SW into the Pacific and then hug the coastline as far south as N Curry county. A fire near Gerhardt Mtn in Lake county along the Klamath county line is producing a spider-like smoke area with legs of moderate smoke extending NE, W and SSW covering a large portion of the E corner of Klamath county and the Chewaucan river valley in Lake county. A fire near Wickiup Res. in SW Deschutes county is producing a 10km wide plume of moderate smoke that is wavering N and S slightly as it moves due E along the county line to the eastern portions of Deschutes Nat'l forest. Idaho: Numerous fires across N ID in Benewah/Latah/W and SW Shoshone/NW Clearwater counties produced 8km wide plumes of moderately dense smoke that moved Neward before being obscurred by cirrus clouds from the NW. They covered much of Shoshone and Benewah counties. Gallina