DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1530Z July 16, 2009

Alaska/NW Canada to US Great Lakes:
A large area of smoke from numerous fires in NE AK and S Yukon Territory
continues to cover nearly all of NW Canada including all of the NWT,
continental Nunavut, Alberta, Saskatchewan and western 2/3rds of
Manitoba. The smoke also leaks into NE ND, N MN and then consolidates
on the south side of the upper low covering much of WI, the UP of MI
and Lake Michigan.

A large are of moderate to dense smoke from PyroCbs likely over the
last 2 days as the smoke is generally higher in altitude and has an
anticyclonic curl to it on the mesoscale ridge across N Saskatchewan,
ext. NE Manitoba and S Nunavut.

Thin smoke can be seen rotating back south across the Arctic sea into NE
AK because of the flow of the large, well defined cyclone over Big Bear
Lake. This cyclone is also pulling the thin smoke across the Yukon into
its center...though there is a break of “clearer” sky just behind
the cold/occluded front separating the 2 areas described.

N Nevada/S Idado:
A pocket of thin smoke from the Trailer 1 and RedRock fires.  The smoke
is bowing out into a crescent shape covering SW ID and NE NV about to
move into NW UT.

Gallina


 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

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.