DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0200Z JULY 10, 2008
California: The very large wildfires burning across northern California (counties of Trinity/Tehama/Siskiyou/Shasta/Butte/Placer) are producing an extreme amount of smoke across the western US. Very dense smoke is seen moving east across most of northern California into most of Nevada and is beginning to reach parts of northern Utah. Moderately dense to dense smoke is also moving south along the northern coast of California and well out into the Pacific and is beginning to move into the central coast region of California and the Pacific. Moderately dense smoke lies across extreme northern California and Nevada, southeast Oregon, eastern Nevada and western Utah. An area of light smoke is continuing to move south across east central section of California and into southwest Nevada...mostly residual smoke. The wildfire (near Big Sur) in Monterrey County is emitting very dense smoke to the south SW, but the total distance from source cannot be determined due to low clouds along the coast and offshore. Residual smoke from the wildfire that moved east yesterday contributes to the overall very smoky conditions across central California and Nevada. Southeast Idaho: A fire in east Butte County (Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Lab) is emitting a light to moderately dense plume of smoke southeast into Bonneville, Jefferson and Bingham counties. Colorado: In eastern Mesa county in western Colorado (Grand Mesa National Forest) a wildfire is producing an area of moderately dense to dense smoke towards the southeast into the counties of Delta and Montrose. Eastern/Central Alaska and Yukon Territory: A couple large wildfires are burning across eastern Alaska in the county of Yukon-Koyukuk with some small wildfires burning in the central sections of the county/state. The one large wildfire can be seen producing moderately dense to dense smoke southeast across the state into the counties of Southeast Fairbanks and Fairbanks-North and eventually into the west central sections of the Yukon Territory. The full view of smoke is not seen due to the large amount of cloud cover across most of Alaska and the Yukon Territory. Central Canada (Saskatchewan/Western Northwest Territories) The wildfires across northern Saskatchewan (near/north of Lake Athabasca) continue to produce a large area of mostly moderately dense to dense smoke moving north into the western/central sections of the Northwest Territories. An area of light smoke is seen farther north and is most likely residual smoke from the burning yesterday. Wildfires north and northwest of Great Slave Lake are producing light to moderately dense smoke moving north across the western sections of the Northwest Territories. Hawaii: A possible smoke plume mixed with the volcanic steam/fog (VOG) was visible moving to the west and off the south coast of the Big Island. This possible smoke was believed to be due to lava flows encountering and burning vegetation. The VOG was very prominent and extended well off to the west of the island and then northwest to north well of the islands. From earlier today: New England: Residue haze and smoke covers coastal New England. This area can still be seen, but is very light. Upper Midwest and western Great Lakes: Light residue smoke and haze covers portion of the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. This area of smoke and haze is no longer seen. J Kibler