FRIDAY, July 31, 2009

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 2000Z July 31, 2009

Alaska/Western Canada:
A large area of smoke continues to cover most of Alaska and western
Canada from the numerous wildfires that have been burning for weeks in
central/eastern Alaska and parts of the Yukon Territory.  An area of thin
to moderately dense smoke is located in central Alaska and spreads east
into Yukon and the Northwest Territories.  Pockets of dense to very dense
smoke extend as far north as the Arctic Sea and then spread south across
most of the Yukon Territory and east into the Northwest Territories.
Another pocket of dense to very dense smoke has moved farther south into
a large section of northern/central Alberta with some moderately dense
smoke in eastern British Columbia.  Most of British Columbia is under
a thin area of smoke.

British Columbia/Washington/Oregon/Idaho/Montana:
Numerous wildfires also continue to burn over the Pacific Northwest and
southern British Columbia.  A large area of thin smoke mainly associated
with these fires is seen over a good portion of southern British Columbia,
Washington, northern/central Oregon, northern Idaho and east into western
sections of Montana.  There are some small pockets of moderately dense
smoke across British Columbia. Currently in GOES 12/11 satellite imagery,
the smoke from the British Columbia wildfires is not quite combining
with the smoke from the Alaska/Northwest Canada wildfires, but late
evening GOES-12 imagery might prove different.  We will wait to see.

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.