DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1515Z July 19, 2009
Alaska/Canada/North Central US: Moderately dense to dense smoke continues to emanate from a number of fires burning across portions of Alaska and the Yukon province of northwestern Canada. Although cloud cover made it difficult to assess the full extent of the coverage, smoke extended east into the Northwest Territories and northwest to the Chukchi Sea. Southeast Ontario/Northern Great Lakes: A ribbon of haze was noted moving south across southeast Ontario and the northern Great Lakes. Additional haze was detected over eastern Missouri. These areas may contain remnant smoke from fires in Alaska as well as SO2. Southern Florida/Northwest Caribbean/Bahamas/Southern Gulf of Mexico: A large but diffuse area Saharan dust was apparent stretching from the southern Bahamas to Cuba and the northwestern Caribbean and across the southern half of the Gulf of Mexico. Southwest U.S. Residual light smoke from fires over Utah and Colorado was located moving southeast across southern Colorado into northern New Mexico while another area of light smoke from fires in Utah, Arizona and possibly California was seen over the Four Corners region. 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