DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0200Z July 14, 2009
Northern California/Oregon/Washington: Another surge of light to locally moderately dense aerosol is moving onshore across northern California and much of Oregon and Washington. Based on the latest SO2 imagery from the OMI satellite, which does not depict SO2 over this area, it is felt that this is remnant smoke from the massive fire outbreak in Alaska. A separate narrow patch of thin remnant smoke is also seen stretching from near Monterey Bay to Lake Tahoe. Great Basin: A couple of areas of blowing dust were seen being kicked up over Nevada and Utah. One area was over eastern Nye county in Nevada and was moving east into Utah. A second area was seen over the Great Salt Lake and drifting to the south. Western Ontario to the Mid Atlantic and New England: A ribbon of aerosol was seen stretching from western Ontario across western Lake Superior, into central Michigan, western Pennsylvania and off the Atlantic coast from southern New Jersey. Based on the OMI data noted above, it is felt that this plume is predominantly SO2, although it is possible that some smoke is mixed in. OMI data can be viewed at http://satepsanone.nesdis.noaa.gov/pub/OMI/OMISO2/index.html Alaska: Remnant and recent smoke from the Alaskan fires was seen drifting to the northwest and covering much of the northwest and central portion of the state, mainly north of McGrath. Ruminski More information on the areas of smoke described above as well as others can be found at the locations listed below. THE FORMAT OF THIS TEXT PRODUCT IS BEING MODIFIED. IT WILL NO LONGER DESCRIBE THE VARIOUS PLUMES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH ACTIVE FIRES. THESE PLUMES ARE DEPICTED IN VARIOUS GRAPHIC FORMATS ON OUR WEB SITE: JPEG: http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/FIRE/hms.html GIS: http://www.firedetect.noaa.gov/viewer.htm KML: http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/FIRE/kml.html THIS TEXT PRODUCT WILL CONTINUE TO DESCRIBE SIGNIFICANT AREAS OF SMOKE WHICH HAVE BECOME DETACHED FROM AND DRIFTED SOME DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE SOURCE FIRE, TYPICALLY OVER THE COURSE OF ONE OR MORE DAYS. IT WILL ALSO STILL INCLUDE DESCRIPTIONS OF BLOWING DUST. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING THESE CHANGES OR THE SMOKE TEXT PRODUCT IN GENERAL SHOULD BE SENT TO SSDFireTeam@noaa.gov