DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1630Z August 27, 2020
SMOKE: California and Western United States/Southern Canada/Northwestern Mexico... The latest GOES Visible imagery observed a large region of moderate to heavy density smoke due to large wildfire complex activity in Northern California. The moderate to heavy density smoke was observed over most of Northern California, Northwestern Nevada, Southern/Eastern Oregon, and into Western Idaho. Moderate to thick density smoke was also observed over most of the San Joaquin Valley. Light density smoke was also observed over most of the Southwestern United States including Arizona,New Mexico, and also Northwestern Mexico as well as over the Northern Rockies into the Northern Plains. Wildfire complex activity was also observed in Southern British Columbia Province where smoke was observed progressing southward and eastward towards the United States. The smoke from the California wildfire activity is progressing northward and northeastward in satellite imagery. Central and Eastern United States/Atlantic Ocean... The latest GOES Visible imagery observed a large region of moderate to heavy density smoke over a large portion of the Central Plains and Lower Midwest to the North and Northwest of Hurricane Laura which is located over Northern Louisiana. The smoke is attributed to smoke transport from large wildfire complex activity in Northern California. Smoke was observed over parts of Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, and Southern Wisconsin. Light to moderate density smoke was also observed to the east over Southern Michigan, Eastern Ohio, Western Pennsylvania as well as over parts of the Mid Atlantic including Eastern Virginia, Eastern North Carolina, Eastern Delaware, and Eastern Maryland this morning. Light to moderate density smoke was also observed offshore from the North Carolina and Virginia coasts over the Western Atlantic Ocean in satellite imagery. SAHARAN DUST: Atlantic Ocean/West Africa/Eastern Caribbean Sea... A large region of light density Saharan dust was observed over most of the Central and Eastern Atlantic Ocean progressing westward towards the Lesser Antilles and Eastern Caribbean Sea. A region of moderate to heavy density Saharan dust was observed off the West African coast over the Eastern Atlantic this morning in satellite imagery. Sambucci 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/data/land/fire/currenthms.jpg GIS: ftp://satpsanone.nesdis.noaa.gov/FIRE/HMS/GIS/ KML: http://www.ospo.noaa.gov/data/land/fire/fire.kml (fire) http://www.ospo.noaa.gov/data/land/fire/smoke.kml (smoke) ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING THIS PRODUCT SHOULD BE SENT TO: SSDFireTeam@noaa.gov