DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0200Z October 24, 2011
Central California Coast: A large wildfire on the California coast approximately 100km south of the bay area is producing moderately dense to very dense smoke in the northward direction. Smoke is dispersing laterally as well, with light density remnant smoke drifting out over the Pacific Ocean as well as inland, too. The thickest of the smoke is observed as an elongated band that is stretching to the northeast. Ramirez From earlier... Northern Gulf of Mexico: An area of thin remnant smoke covered the northwestern Gulf of Mexico and was drifting south and southeastward. Another smaller patch of thin smoke was present just south of Alabama with additional aerosol that could also be smoke-related seen in the northeastern Gulf to the west of Florida. Most of this smoke is from the large number of ag fires that have been burning over the Southeast US and the Lower Mississippi River Valley. A large fire that continues to burn in eastern Cameron Parish in southwest Louisiana was likely also a major contributor. Great Lakes Region: Small patches of thin smoke were present over northern Lake Michigan, Mighigan, Lake Huron, and Georgian Bay. This remnant smoke is probably from the large number of ag fires that have been burning in the North Central US states and South Central Canada. Western Canada: A plume of remnant smoke was seen slowly moving eastward this morning across northwest Alberta, extreme northeast British Columbia, and southwest Northwest Territories. This smoke likely originated from the numerous fires burning in central British Columbia over the past few days. Sheffler 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