DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0115Z July 23, 2009
Alaska: Dense smoke continues to be generated from the numerous wildfires throughout central Alaska. The smoke becomes less dense as it fans out to the northwest. Western Canada: A large fire in the southern portion of British Columbia is generating dense smoke which is traveling east through Alberta and approaching the Saskatchewan border near Montana. Eastern Canada: An area of haze which was located over the Ungava Bay and Labrador Sea earlier today has continued to travel east and is now extending from the east coast of Labrador out into the Labrador Sea. This area may be remnant smoke from the Alaskan fires mixed with other aerosols. Gulf of Mexico: Sand/Dust from the Sahara can be seen in the southern and western portions of the Gulf of Mexico. -Salemi 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