DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0330Z August 22, 2012

Western Canada:

Fires burning in northern British Columbia/Alberta and the Northwest
Territories are responsible for a large area of remnant smoke that extends
from British Columbia eastward across Manitoba. Smoke is moderate to thick
in density. Fires in the region continued to produce smoke throughout
the day.

Western and Central US:

A large area of light density remnant smoke extends from the Pacific
northwest eastward across the northern and central Plains. The leading
edge of the smoke was visible crossing the Texas/Oklahoma border this
evening. Moderate to thick density smoke was visible close to source
fires in northern California, Oregon, and Idaho. Agricultural burning in
the Dakotas is also producing a region of moderate density remnant smoke.

LP

THIS TEXT PRODUCT IS PRIMARILY INTENDED TO DESCRIBE SIGNIFICANT AREAS
OF 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 DEPECTION
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.html
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.