DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0245Z July 31, 2012
Canada: Numerous large fires across the NW Territories, N Alberta, N Saskatchewan, the Northern lake region of Manitoba and the NW wilderness of Ontario continued to produce smoke that covers nearly all of Canada. Cloud cover made smoke detection difficult; however, dense pockets of smoke were visible this evening in western Ontario. Washington: Fires burning in Washington state this evening produced remnant smoke which moved south of Spokane. Dakotas/Minnesota/Nebraska: Dense smoke from Canada continued to move southward this evening through Minnesota. Remnant smoke from fires burning in Montana moved around a ridge and neared the SD/NE border by sunset. Dust: Saharan dust in Florida moved northward throughout the day and neared the I-4 corridor by sunset. MM 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