Saturday, July 25, 2009

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0230Z July 26, 2009

Alaska/Territories:
Earlier Today:
Numerous wildfires continue to burn across Alaska producing mostly
moderately dense to dense smoke moving E into the Yukon and Northwest
Territories.  Very dense smoke located in sections of C and E Alaska
stretches from the central part of the state E into N Yukon Territory
with moderately dense smoke stretching farther S and N across Alaska
and spreading into E sections of the Northwest Territories.

Latest:
Smoke continues to moves towards the E with the full view not able to
be seen.  Thin to moderately dense smoke has moved farther E into the
Northwest Territories.
Also, numerous fires are burning across S and C Yukon Territory producing
mostly moderately dense smoke moving toward the NNE.

Western and Central Canada/Northern Rockies/Northern/Central
Plains/Mississippi Valley/Upper Great Lakes:
Earlier Today:
A wildfire burning in S British Columbia near Kelowna continues to
produce a large area of light to moderately dense smoke spreading E across
southern British Columbia/Alberta and SW Saskatchewan.  The smoke then
moves SE over Montana/W North Dakota, most of South Dakota, NE Nebraska
and into S Minnesota, most of Iowa, N Missouri and into S and C Wisconsin
and N Illinois.  An area of moderately dense smoke stretches SE across
SW Saskatchewan and another across SW South Dakota and NE Nebraska.

J Kibler

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.