DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0130Z September 17, 2007
South Central Canada/North Dakota/Minnesota: Scattered fires were detected in satellite data across southeastern Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba provinces in south central Canada as well as North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota. A few of these fires were producing thin to moderately dense smoke plumes which moved quickly off to the northeast. California/Nevada/Utah/Colorado/Wyoming/Central Plains: The large fire in southwestern San Bernardino County of southern California continues to emit a relatively narrow but dense smoke plume which spread from southern California across southern Nevada (including Las Vegas) and Utah. A significant fire in southern White Pine County of east central Nevada was responsible for a moderately dense to dense smoke plume which moved off the northeast into west central and northern Utah. A good deal of cloudiness also was present during the afternoon across Utah and spots farther to the northeast including portions of Colorado, Wyoming, and the Central Plains which limited smoke detection from several wildfires burning in those regions as well. Some patches of smoke however were visible over Wyoming, northern Colorado, and the Central Plains through breaks in the clouds during the late afternoon and evening. Earlier in the morning, moderately dense smoke primarily from the southern California, east central Nevada, and Utah fires was observed across portions of Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, and South Dakota. Morning visible imagery showed that thinner smoke from these fires as well as from the fires in Washington, Idaho, and Montana had combined to spread as far east as Indiana and Ohio. Washington/Oregon/Southwestern and South Central Canada/Idaho/Montana/Northern and Central Plains: Significant smoke producing fires continue to burn especially in central Idaho and western Montana resulting in a very large mass of smoke which moved to the north and east during the afternoon and evening. Moderately dense to dense smoke covered central and northern Idaho, a good chunk of Montana, and the southern portions of Alberta and Saskatchewan provinces in Canada. Earlier in the morning, moderately dense smoke had spread southeastward into the Dakotas with thinner smoke combining with smoke from the California/Nevada/Utah/Wyoming fires to reach as far as Indiana and Ohio as described in the paragraph above. Washington/Oregon: Clouds covered much of these states during the afternoon and early evening preventing smoke detection there at this time. JS