DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE 1600Z
August 21, 2005

Alaska/Northwestern and northcentral Canada:
Cloud cover continues to hamper smoke detection.  However, through cloud
breaks it appears that most of Alaska, the Yukon Territory, and the area
north and northwest of Great Bear Lake are covered by moderate smoke or
a smoke haze mix.  Farther east the smoke thins.  Cloud cover prevents
detection of the easternmost edge of the smoke but there might be traces
of thin smoke mixed with fog/haze as far east as the northern Hudson Bay.

Northwestern U.S.:
An area of thin smoke is in several counties in northeastern Oregon,
central Idaho and west central Montana and possibly also clips the
extreme southeastern part of Washington.  Most of this smoke is relatively
stationary.  The smoke is approximately in a 100 nautical mile wide line
from 45.8N 119.3W to 46.6N 113.0W.

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.