DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THRU 2330Z August 14, 2005

Alaska, western and south central Canada and northwestern and northcentral
continental U.S.:
A huge contiguous area of moderate to thick smoke extends from Alaska,
through the western and southern Yukon Territory, into northern British
Columbia, central and southern Alberta, southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba
and then into eastern Washington state, northern Idaho, and Montana and
North Dakota.  The southern edge of the smoke particularly in Montana
and North Dakota continues to move toward the south and east and is
therefore approaching South Dakota and northwestern Minnesota. The smoke
primarily originates in the extremely numerous and large Alaskan fires,
but fires in and near Idaho are also contributing to the smoke over Idaho,
Washington and Montana.

Southwest Oregon:
The Blossom Complex fire is still producing a plume that extends toward
the southwest, reaching the coast.  Due to clouds the plume cannot be
seen by satellite over the Pacific.

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.