Friday August 11, 2006

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1530Z August 11, 2006.

Northern California/Oregon/Idaho/Montana/Dakotas:
The most active fires this morning as far as smoke production is concerned
were located in Trinity and Mendocino Counties of northern California
along with Valley, Custer, Gem, and Elmore Counties of Idaho. Early
morning visible imagery shows thin to perhaps moderately dense smoke
spreading northward and northeastward from the northern California fires
across southern Oregon and central Idaho. The smoke then combines with
the smoke from the Idaho fires and extends farther to the northeast
over Montana and south central Canada as well as the Dakotas. Within
this region, a relatively more dense patch of smoke was observed moving
from southeastern Montana into southwestern North Dakota and western
and central South Dakota. Locally more dense smoke within 50 miles of
the fires was observed with the fires in Valley and Custer counties
of central Idaho as well as the Trinity and Mendocino County fires in
northern California.

Northern and Central Plains/Upper and Middle Mississippi Valley:
Visible imagery indicated a swath of haze stretching southward from south
central Canada across central and eastern North Dakota and Minnesota to
far eastern Kansas, Missouri, and northern Illinois. It is likely that
this haze is a combination of residual smoke from the western fires and
other atmospheric pollutants.

JS


 


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.