DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0200Z AUGUST 19, 2008

Impacts of Western and Canadian Fires:
Fires in the western US and in the provinces of Saskatchewan and Northern
Territory have resulted in a massive area of light smoke covering all
or portions of the Pacific Northwest, the northern Rockies, northern
and central Plains, Midwest, Ohio Valley, southeast British Columbia,
Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and extreme southern Ontario.

Residual moderately dense smoke was located across portions of Nebraska
and Iowa with another ribbon stretching from western Wyoming across
western Montana and into Alberta.  Heavy dense smoke emanated from the
South Barker, Cayuse Willow WFU and Gunbarrel fires.

Cloud cover inhibited the detection of smoke associated with the fires
in northern California, Oregon and Washington.  This was also the case
with most of the fires in northern Saskatchewan and Northern Territory.
Smoke that could be discerned through clouds was moving northeast and
was moderately dense.

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.