DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1700Z August 28, 2009
California: Cloudiness moving inland from the Pacific has interfered with smoke detection in satellite imagery this morning. In a relatively cloud free area over far southern California, thin smoke could be seen mainly along and off the coast of extreme southwestern California (just southwest of San Diego) and along and off the western coast of Baja. This smoke was believed to be primarily from the fires burning in northwest Baja. A bit farther to the north, moderately dense smoke could be seen through breaks in the clouds moving westward from a fire in central Los Angeles County. In central California, a narrow band of dense smoke was moving northward from the large fire in northern Mariposa County. However, extensive cloudiness was interfering with information concerning the extent of the smoke. Farther to the north and west, clouds totally obscured viewing of any smoke in west central and northern California. Northwestern US: More cloudiness moving inland over western Washington and much of Oregon greatly limited smoke detection in satellite imagery. The large fire in northern Grant County of northeastern Oregon was emitting dense smoke which currently was moving in a westward direction. A patch of leftover detached thin to moderately dense smoke from this same fire was visible moving to the east over north central Idaho into western Montana. Southwestern Canada: A number of large fires continue to burn across southern British Columbia producing significant amounts of smoke. A large mass of moderately dense to dense smoke from yesterday afternoon's flare up was observed in satellite imagery this morning moving to the northeast and east over the eastern half of British Columbia and into much of western Alberta Province. The thinner leading edge of this smoke also was moving southeastward in the general direction of northern Montana. 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