Thursday, June 23, 2011

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0300Z June 24, 2011

Eastern US:
Much of the eastern U.S. coast/western Atlantic from northern Florida
up to North Carolina continues to be covered in moderately dense to
thick smoke this evening. The smoke has predominantly originated from
the Honey Prairie wildfire in the Okefenokee Swamp, GA and the Juniper
Road fire in North Carolina.

North central US/southern Canada:
An elongated area of thin density remnant smoke and an elongated area of
moderately dense remnant smoke are visible stretching south from eastern
Manitoba/western Ontario into the eastern Dakotas/western Minnesota as
far south as Iowa. This smoke has likely originated from wildfires in
Canada and has been pulled south by a low pressure circulation positioned
over the Great Lakes region.

Northern Canada:
Wildfires in northeast Alberta, northern Saskatchewan, and southern
Northwest Territories are collectively responsible for a light to locally
dense smoke plume that is moving northwest across Northwest Territories
and Yukon Territory as far west as northeast Alaska.

Arizona/New Mexico/northern Mexico:
Large wildfires in eastern Arizona and central New Mexico, including the
Wallow and Pacheco blazes, are producing broad areas of thin density smoke
and more localized areas of moderate to dense smoke over approximately
one quarter of New Mexico state this evening. Wildfires in northern
Sonora are also producing broad areas of thin density remnant smoke that
is observed moving west.

Blowing Dust:
Two areas of blowing dust from dry lake beds are observed this
evening. Beginning at 2100Z 23 June an aerosol plume is visible in
northern Churchill County, NV moving northwest to the Elko County, NV
border out to 0200Z 24 June. Beginning at 0045Z 24 June an aerosol plume
is visible in east Inyo County, CA moving northwest into southwest Nye
County, NV out to 0215Z 24 June.

Ramirez

THIS TEXT PRODUCT IS PRIMARILY INTENDED TO DESCRIBE SIGNIFICANT
AREAS SMOKE ASSOCIATED WITH ACTIVE FIRES AND SMOKE WHICH HAS BECOME
DETACHED FROM THE FIRES AND DRIFTED SOME DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE SOURCE
FIRE..TYPICALLY OVER THE COURSE OF ONE OR MORE DAYS. AREAS OF BLOWING DUST
ARE ALSO DESCRIBED. USERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO VIEW A GRAPHIC DEPICTION OF
THESE AND OTHER PLUMES WHICH ARE LESS EXTENSIVE AND STILL ATTACHED TO
THE SOURCE FIRE 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
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING THIS PRODUCT 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.