DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0330Z August 05, 2009
Northwestern to Western Canada/Alaska: Much of northwest Canada, including British Columbia, Yukon and Northwest Territory is covered in smoke due to numerous wildfires in Yukon and British Columbia. The smoke is moderately dense and dense closer to the fires in British Columbia. Across central Yukon and western Northwest Territory there is a broad area of moderately dense to dense smoke that has drifted into the region from the long lasting and numerous fires in Alaska. Extensive clouds cover much of southern into central Alaska, inhibiting smoke detection. However, a pall of smoke is seen over much of the northern half of Alaska, north of the Alaska Range. The smoke is particularly dense in and around the Fairbanks area and extending eastward into Yukon. Northwest US/Southwest Canada to the Great Lakes: A broad area of smoke from the numerous fires in British Columbia with some contribution from fires in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana, extended from northern California across Oregon, Washington and into southern British Columbia and then eastward across northern Idaho and Montana and southern Alberta and Saskatchewan. A break was then seen with a patch of light residual smoke from southern Michigan westward across northern Illinois and into central Iowa. Texas Panhandle and vicinity: An area of remnant smoke was seen stretching from near Lubbock into eastern New Mexico. 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.osdpd.noaa.gov/ml/land/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