Friday, June 13, 2014

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0330Z June 14, 2014

SMOKE:
Northwest Territories/British Columbia/Alberta:
An expansive area of light-density smoke is located over central Northwest
Territories, northeast British Columbia, and northern Alberta. Some
localized areas of heavier density smoke are embedded within this large
plume. This smoke originates from the multiple wildfires burning close
to the Great Slave Lake. A strip of remnant smoke from these wildfires
is located to the east of this large area of smoke, moving eastward.

BLOWING DUST:
California/Arizona/southern Nevada:
Two areas of blowing dust are seen moving eastward/northeastward,
originating in southern California. The northern portion of the blowing
dusts extends from southern California into southern Nevada, and the
southern portion of the blowing dust ranges from southern California
into western Arizona.

Central Nevada/Utah:
Blowing dust is seen originating from several point sources throughout
central Nevada. The most significant area of blowing dust in Nevada is
currently in Esmeralda County moving southward towards the California
border. An area of blowing dust is also seen in northwestern Utah moving
southward. This dust originates from the Bonneville Salt Flats.

Eastern Colorado:
A strip of light-density blowing dust is moving northward  through eastern
Colorado, extending to the Nebraska panhandle by sunset. A smaller area
of more dense dust is originating from Kiowa county and also moving north.

Gulf of Mexico:
Dust most likely originating from the Saharan desert is currently
protruding into central and southern parts of the Gulf of Mexico. An
outflow boundary appears to be keeping the Saharan dust away from the
gulf coast states for the moment.

Heeps

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 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.ospo.noaa.gov/Products/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.