Wednesday, August 31, 2011

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1800Z August 31, 2011


North Central US:
An area of thin density remnant smoke is observed over north central
North Dakota and parts on southern Manitoba, which has likely drifted
there from wildfires in the Montana/Idaho vicinity over the past week.

Lower Mississippi Valley:
A large wildfire continues to burn on the southeast side of Lake
Pontchartrain and is producing an area of thin density smoke over the
northern portion of the boot of Louisiana. Thin bands of smoke are also
observed in southern Mississippi. Moderate to very dense smoke is observed
over Lake Pontchartrain and in the eastern portion of the boot.

Texas/Oklahoma:
An expansive area of residual smoke is present across much of Texas and
Oklahoma this morning from wildfires that were burning in both states
yesterday. The elongated thin density smoke plume is oriented southwest
to northeast over all of central Texas and into southeast Oklahoma. An
even more elongated moderate density  smoke plume is embedded within
the thin density plume and also stretches over much of central Texas
and southeast Oklahoma.

Idaho:
Localized areas of smoke are becoming visible near the sources of the
numerous fires that have been burning recently in Idaho. Through 1800Z
the smoke is thin density and remains confined to Idaho only.

Ramirez


THIS TEXT PRODUCT IS PRIMARILY INTENDED TO DESCRIBE SIGNIFICANT
AREAS SMOKE ASSOCIATED WITH ACTIVE FIRES AND SMOKE WHICH HAS BECOME
DETACHED FROM THE FIRES AND DRIFTED SOME DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE SOURCE
FIRE..TYPICALLY OVER THE COURSE OF ONE OR MORE DAYS. AREAS OF BLOWING DUST
ARE ALSO DESCRIBED. USERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO VIEW A GRAPHIC DEPICTION OF
THESE AND OTHER PLUMES WHICH ARE LESS EXTENSIVE AND STILL ATTACHED TO
THE SOURCE FIRE 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
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING THIS PRODUCT 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.