DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0200Z September 28, 2009
Plains/Mississippi Valley: Earlier Today: A large area of smoke stretches from eastern Wyoming/Colorado across the Plains and as far east as western Illinois/Wisconsin. The smoke reaches as far south as northeast Texas/northwest Louisiana. Within this smoke is an area of dense smoke extending from eastern Colorado into northwest Kansas and north into southern Nebraska. An area of moderately dense smoke stretches a little farther east into north central Kansas and eastern Nebraska and just reaching across the border into west central Iowa. The residual smoke is from the wildfires burning across California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana. Currently: The moderately dense smoke has moved farther east into southern Iowa, most of Missouri, northern Arkansas and into western Illinois. The lighter smoke has moved as far east as southern Ohio and eastern Kentucky. Western US: An area of light to moderately dense residual smoke is moving north along western California and the Pacific coast. Some of the light smoke is now moving into southern/central sections of Oregon and combining with the smoke from the wildfires burning in the Douglas and Lane counties. Wildfires in Douglas and Lane counties in the Umpqua National Forest (Cascade Range near the town of Toketee Falls and along highway 138) are producing an area of very dense to dense smoke. The very dense smoke is moving north into central and northern Oregon with the dense smoke from these fires moving west and reaching the Pacific coast. The smoke is combining with residual smoke moving up the California coast. Numerous other wildfires are burning across parts of western Wyoming, Montana and eastern Idaho. These wildfires are producing anything from light to very thick smoke. Most of the smoke is heading in a west to southwest direction. J Kibler 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