DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0115Z October 28, 2011
Southeastern US: Not quite as many fires as yesterday were detected in satellite imagery during the day across the Southeast. Some cloudiness also interfered some with smoke detection. South Central Canada: Numerous fires were analyzed over southern Saskatchewan during the day. However, only a couple of smoke plumes were visible in satellite imagery. Western and Northwestern US/Southwestern Canada: The majority of fires producing visible smoke in satellite imagery were located in the region stretching from central California northward across Oregon and the northern Idaho panhandle. A few others were scattered across Washington and southern British Columbia. Southern Texas/Northern Mexico: A region of aerosol was observed across far southern Texas and northern Mexico which may contain some blowing dust kicked up by strong northerly winds behind a cold front making its way southward. Central California and Offshore: An aerosol of unknown origin and composition was seen moving to the southwest across central California and offshore over the far eastern Pacific. It is possible that some remnant smoke from fires in the interior of central California may be contributing to this aerosol. Western Mexico: An area of moderate density blowing dust was visible spreading to the south and east over far southern Sonora in western Mexico. JS 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