DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1645Z August 10, 2012
Alaska/Beaufort Sea/Northern Yukon and Northwest Territories: A large area of remnant smoke can be seen over central and northern Alaska, far northwestern Canada, and parts of the Arctic Sea. This is likely remnant, high level smoke from Siberia. Canada: A very large and expansive area of thin to moderately dense smoke can be seen across a large portion of Canada today. Smoke stretches from Vancouver Island northeast across British Columbia as far north as the Northwest Territories eastward to Quebec and as far south as the US Plains. 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 mostly moderately dense remnant smoke can be seen this morning and early afternoon stretching from portions of northern California/Oregon, eastward into Idaho/Montana and into the 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 is even reaching further south into the Plains today through Texas and the central and lower Mississippi Valley. -Belge 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