Saturday, October 7, 2006

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0300Z October 8, 2006

Arkansas/Missouri/Mississippi/Louisiana:
A very large number of what are believed to be mainly agricultural burns
were detected across southeastern Missouri,eastern Arkansas, western
Mississippi, and northeastern Louisiana. Small relatively short puffs
of smoke were observed moving to the southwest with several of these
fires. Larger fires in Pike, Scott, and Saline counties of central and
western Arkansas were emitting moderately dense to even locally dense
smoke which was spreading westward during the afternoon. The earlier
leftover smoke from these fires which was visible this morning over
portions of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri was no longer discernible in
satellite imagery.

North Dakota/Minnesota/Southern Canada:
A large batch of mainly agricultural fires were noted across the
northeastern portion of North Dakota. Rather thin smoke plumes were
observed moving off to the north-northeast from only a few of these
fires, but cloudiness in the region likely prevented additional smoke
detection. A larger fire in eastern Kittson County of far northwestern
Minnesota has been burning since at least yesterday and was producing
smoke which was moving off to the north-northeast into Canada. Not much
detail could be deduced from satellite imagery though due to cloudiness
in this area.

California:
The persistent fires which have been burning for quite some time this
Summer continue to burn in Siskiyou and Trinity Counties of northwestern
California resulting in moderately dense to locally dense smoke which
began to move in a more southwesterly direction during the late afternoon
across Humboldt County. Quick bursts of smoke were detected from fires
in the central California counties of Colusa, Butte, and Yuba which were
moving very rapidly southward through the Sacramento Valley.

Washington/Oregon/Idaho:
Another region of what is believed to be mainly agricultural fires were
detected across southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon. Mostly
thin to perhaps locally moderately dense small areas of smoke were
visible moving mainly in an eastward direction from these fires. Some
of the smoke had moved from eastern Washington into the Idaho Panhandle.

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.