Thursday, September 3, 2009

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0115Z September 4, 2009

NEW FIRE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA:
Satellite imagery indicated that a new fire erupted in northwest San
Diego County by 2345Z with plumes of moderately dense smoke fanning out
in both the east northeast and west southwest directions.

Southwest US:

The Station fire is largely responsible for extremely dense smoke
extending west and north up to 115 km.  Additional light with isolated
moderately dense smoke from this fire covers much of southern and central
California as well as Nevada.

Northern and Central Plains/Southern Manitoba and Saskatchewan:

Residual smoke from large fires that had been burning or continue to
burn in central and southern California, Utah, northeastern Oregon,
and southern British Columbia stretched from the southern Canadian
provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan southward to Kansas and Missouri.
Most of this smoke was light except in southern Canada where it was
moderately dense.

Gulf of Mexico:

Residual light smoke from the same source regions covered the west
central Gulf of Mexico, southern Louisiana and coastal Texas.

Midwest:

Still more residual smoke from those fires in the western US and Canada
was detected over the Midwest.

Newfoundland and New Brunswick:

Light smoke was moving across Newfoundland and New Brunswick.

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.