Monday, July 11, 2011

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0330Z July 12, 2011


Western and Central Canada:
During the day, considerable cloudiness affected portions of western
and central Canada limiting much additional detail concerning smoke from
the wildfires in the region. The most significant visible area of smoke
was a dense patch emanating from fires in northeastern Alberta which
moved generally to the north during the afternoon and early evening. For
information on the visible smoke from earlier in the day, see the section
below from this morning.

South Central Canada/Great Lakes Region:
Again, more cloudiness interfered with some of the smoke detection
from satellite imagery over southern Canada and the Great Lakes
region. Patches of thin density smoke were visible through breaks in the
clouds across the area stretching from northern Lake Michigan to western
New York. Another small area of thin density smoke was also seen over
southwestern Quebec. These areas of smoke were believed to be mainly
associated with fires burning across southwestern Ontario.

Southeastern US:
Thin to moderately dense smoke from the Honey Prairie Fire in southeastern
Georgia lingered around the coastal areas of southeastern Georgia and
southeastern South Carolina during the day. A small batch of moderately
dense to dense smoke could be seen through breaks in the clouds late in
the day around and just to the north of the fire.

New Mexico:
Clouds covered a good portion of New Mexico which prevented any additional
smoke detection associated with the Las Conchas and Pancheco fires in
northern New Mexico.

JS


Earlier This Morning...
Central Canada:
A large area remnant smoke from NWT and Alberta wilderness fires that
has been trapped in the polar region of northern Canada continues to
cover the same polar regions of NWT, continental Nunavut and northern
Saskatchewan, Manitoba and into the central portions of Hudson Bay.
However, the cutoff cyclone currently over NW Ontario has picked up
speed and a post-cyclone jet is aiding transport of thin into central and
south eastern Saskatchewan and central and southern Manitoba nearing 50N.
Small pockets of moderately dense smoke can be seen drifting south across
Lake Athabasca from recent emission (likely last night) from the fires
of S NWT (SE of Great Slave Lake) and N Alberta fires.

Ontario/Minnesota/Lake Superior:
Thin smoke conglomerated from multiple sources: Las Conchas/Pancheco
fires in Northern NM; the Canadian wilderness fires of NWT/Alberta (from
several days ago) and new large fires in W Ontario an is currently located
in the southern and western sides of the large cutoff low in NW Ontario.
The thin smoke is concentrated along wind shift/frontal boundaries...one
extends from around Lake Nipigon toward the SW into E MN and over the
western portions of Lake Superior... the second line extends across SW
Ontario into Manitoba along the southern portions of Lake Winnipeg and
Lake Manitoba.

Upper Ohio River Valley and Lower Great Lakes:
Thin to moderate smoke from the Las Conchas/Pancheco fires (from 2 days
ago) can be tracked moving due east in a 200 wide (E-W) band extending
N-S from Detroit to Knoxville, TN covering W OH, Central E KY and NE TN.
There appears to be a slight clearing toward the E until a second pocket
of smoke is seen over E OH and WV...just moving into PA.
Lastly, a small 200km long (SW-NE) by 50 wide sliver of thin/moderate
smoke from similar source (though possible contributions from W Ontario
fires) covers much of Lake Ontario and far NW NY near Rochester,NY.

SE US Atlantic Coast:
Moderately dense smoke from the Honey Prairie fire in SE GA can be seen
covering much of coastal GA and SC with an extension into the Atlantic
over the Gulf Stream region maybe out to 76W between 30N and 34N.

Gallina

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.