DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0200Z July 13, 2009
S Oklahoma/N Texas/E New Mexico: Remnant smoke from the fires in Oklahoma over the past couple of days slowly drifted north during the day and by evening extended from northeast New Mexico across the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles and into the Red River Valley near Wichita Falls Texas. Northern California and Oregon: A surge of aerosol has moved onshore from the east Pacific covering northern California from the San Francisco Bay area northward. The aerosol curled to the northeast into the northwest tip of Nevada and eastern Oregon. It is difficult to determine the source or composition of the plume but based on afternoon data from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), which detects SO2, and weather trajectories for the past few days, it is felt that the plume is predominantly smoke from the ongoing fires in Alaska. British Columbia to Great Lakes: An extensive area of aerosol was seen stretching from the northeast Pacific to the west of Vancouver Island across much of southern British Columbia and central Alberta. The plume then gradually narrows and turns to the east-southeast across southern Saskatchewan, southern Manitoba, northeast Minnesota and the Upper Peninsula and northern Michigan. Based on the afternoon OMI data noted above, it is felt that this plume is predominantly SO2, although it is possible that some smoke is mixed in, especially on the western edge. OMI data can be viewed at http://satepsanone.nesdis.noaa.gov/pub/OMI/OMISO2/index.html Alaska/Northwest Canada: Remnant and recent smoke from the Alaskan fires was seen over much of southern Alaska, mainly south of the Yukon and east of Anvik (southwest of McGrath). The smoke extends into the northern Gulf of Alaska but the full extent is not known due to extensive low cloud cover. Ruminski More information on the areas of smoke described above as well as others can be found at the locations listed below. THE FORMAT OF THIS TEXT PRODUCT IS BEING MODIFIED. IT WILL NO LONGER DESCRIBE THE VARIOUS PLUMES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH ACTIVE FIRES. THESE PLUMES ARE DEPICTED IN VARIOUS GRAPHIC FORMATS ON OUR WEB SITE: JPEG: http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/FIRE/hms.html GIS: http://www.firedetect.noaa.gov/viewer.htm KML: http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/FIRE/kml.html THIS TEXT PRODUCT WILL CONTINUE TO DESCRIBE SIGNIFICANT AREAS OF SMOKE WHICH HAVE BECOME DETACHED FROM AND DRIFTED SOME DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE SOURCE FIRE, TYPICALLY OVER THE COURSE OF ONE OR MORE DAYS. IT WILL ALSO STILL INCLUDE DESCRIPTIONS OF BLOWING DUST. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING THESE CHANGES OR THE SMOKE TEXT PRODUCT IN GENERAL SHOULD BE SENT TO SSDFireTeam@noaa.gov