DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1500Z SEPTEMBER 20, 2008

Pacific Northwest:
Extensive cloud cover makes it impossible to detect smoke in the first
visible satellite images this morning.

Northern Great Plains and Great Lakes:
Residual smoke from fires in the Pacific Northwest stretched from central
Alberta southeastward across southern Saskatchewan, southwest Manitoba,
Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula
of Michigan.  The smoke was particularly heavy from east central South
Dakota through southern Minnesota into central Wisconsin and the Upper
Peninsula of Michigan.

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.