DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1400Z July 23, 2009
Alaska: The majority of Alaska is covered by weather clouds today limiting the detection of smoke from recent wildfires. With hot spots visible in short wave infrared through 1230UTC it is likely that central Alaska is still being effected by smoke coming from the fires. Remnant smoke from the wildfires, if caught in the current weather system may be wrapping around to effect the western portions of the state. Western Canada: The large fire in the southern portion of British Columbia near Kelowna continues to generate dense smoke. Throughout the evening the smoke was traveling southeast and now extends through southern Alberta, southern Saskatchewan, eastern Montana and into the western region of the Dakotas. The first few visible images of the day show the smoke now veering to the north and remaining dense in nature. Gulf of Mexico: The western Gulf of Mexico still appears hazy due to the sand/dust from the Saharan Desert which was transported across the Atlantic earlier in the week. -Salemi 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