Wednesday, Aug 5, 2009

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






 


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.