DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0215Z September 13 2011
Great Lakes Region/Northern Plains: A very large band of mostly light smoke with embedded areas of moderately dense smoke can be seen stretching all the way from the west coast of the U.S. into parts of western and central Quebec this evening. One are of moderately dense smoke seen across the eastern Great Lakes and into central/eastern Ontario is most likely from a very large fire that continues to burn and produce very heavy smoke in extreme northeastern Minnesota. This is all moving eastward through Canada and southeastward through the Plains states along frontal boundaries in those regions. Pacific Northwest/Idaho/Montana/Wyoming: Large and elongated band of smoke mentioned above can be seen just off the coast of Washington/Oregon stretching through Idaho/Montana/Wyoming and into the Plains states. Embedded areas of moderately dense smoke with some heavy, dense smoke near the fires that are burning can be seen throughout this area. This is new smoke from the fires that continue to burn today and into this evening as well as remnant smoke from the persistent wildfires and some agricultural burns across the region. Southern Manitoba: An area of what looks to be remnant smoke could be seen moving to the southeast through portions of eastern Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba. The likely source of this could be fires from the last several days that have burned through that region with the large fire across north/central Saskatchewan adding to this. California: A few areas of light and some moderately dense smoke can be seen through portions of central and western California tonight as remnant smoke from the Pac NW and Idaho/Montana fires moves southward along the coast as well as remnant and new smoke from the several fires still burning through south/central California. Lower Mississippi Valley/Gulf Coast States/Northern Gulf of Mexico: Numerous fires were seen burning today and this evening through the Lower Mississippi Valley region, the southern Plains as well as through the Gulf coast states. An area of mostly light smoke can be seen moving eastward through eastern Arkansas and into western Mississippi from these numerous burns as well as residual smoke seen through the southern Gulf states as well as moving southward into the Gulf of Mexico. One large fire in particular in southeastern Georgia is likely adding to the residual smoke seen through the Gulf of Mexico this evening Belge 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