DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0500Z August 10, 2012
Alaska/Beaufort Sea: A large area of remnant smoke is seen over the Aleutians, western and northern Alaska, far northwestern Canada, and parts of the Arctic Sea. This is likely remnant, high level smoke from Siberia. Canada: An expansive area of thin to moderately dense smoke is present across a large portion of Canada this evening. Smoke stretches from Vancouver Island northeast across British Columbia as far north as the Northwest Territories/Nunavut eastward to Quebec and as far south as the US border/northern Minnesota. Additional remnant smoke is seen off Labrador stretching northeast to Greenland. This is likely smoke from the numerous fires continuing to burn through British Columbia, southern Yukon, southern Northwest Territories, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Smoke from Siberian wildfires is likely mixed in as well though, being the main component of the smoke that is approaching/covering British Columbia. Western US/Northern and Central Plains: A very large area of light and moderately dense remnant smoke can still be seen this evening stretching from portions of northern California/Oregon, eastward into the northern and central Plains. Large wildfires continue to burn throughout the western US through California, Nevada, Idaho, and Montana and are leading to this large area of smoke as it moves eastward. The smoke was diving southeast across the Central Plains this evening reaching as far south and east as northern Texas, northwest Arkansas, Missouri, and Illinois. Lower Mississippi River Valley/Northeast Texas: An area of smoke from densely populated ag fires along the Mississippi River along with a few wildfires in the region had produced an area of mostly thin smoke from northeast Texas eastward to western Mississippi. Gulf of Mexico/Southeast US Coast: Elevated dust believed to have originated from Africa's Saharan Desert are seen covering the northern Gulf of Mexico, Florida, and along the coast of the Southeastern US. 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