DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1800Z August 27, 2009

Western US:
A couple of patches of thin smoke were visible this morning across
southern California which were likely due to several fires in southern
California as well as fires in Baja of northwestern Mexico. More thin
smoke was also seen moving northward across interior central and northern
California which is likely from both the southern California fires and
the large fire in Mariposa County of east central California. A narrow
swath of moderately dense to dense smoke was emanating from the Mariposa
County fire and spreading northward across east central and northeastern
California, just west of the Tahoe area. Remnant thin smoke was also
visible this morning moving northward across a good portion of Oregon
and into southern Washington. This smoke was believed to be mostly from
the fire burning in western Siskiyou County of northwestern California.

Southwestern Canada:
A large area of thin smoke was observed moving eastward over southeastern
British Columbia, Alberta, and western Saskatchewan provinces of
southwestern Canada. Some of the very thin smoke possibly had entered
north central Montana. This mass of detached smoke was likely from a
number of active fires burning in southern British Columbia.

JS


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.osdpd.noaa.gov/ml/land/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.