DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0300Z July 18, 2011
Central US: A large region of aerosol that is likely composed mainly of smoke is observed in the southern Great Lakes/Ohio River Valley this evening. The remnant smoke is of thin density as far west as central Kansas, as far north as southern Lake Superior, as far east as all of New York, and as far south as northeast Oklahoma. Areas of moderately dense smoke are present in the tri-corner area of Indiana, Ohio, and northern Kentucky. It is possible that much of the aerosol is composed of other pollutants, but given the magnitude of recent wildfires to the north in Ontario, it is likely that the smoke had originated there and then been recirculated. Other minor contributors to the smoke area include fires in Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas where the detached smoke would have been swept north and then east under the influence of the high pressure circulation over the east central US. Central and Eastern Canada: Numerous wildfires continue to burn in western Ontario and eastern Manitoba. Moderate to locally very dense smoke was produced throughout the afternoon and evening. The detached smoke is seen to be moving eastward as far east as the Atlantic coast . **Blowing Dust** Blowing dust was observed to be originating in east central Eureka County, NV beginning at 1645Z. The dust was moving due north as far as southern Elmore County, ID through 0215Z. 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