Thursday August 16, 2012

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0200Z August 17, 2012

US:
Smoke from the numerous large Western wildfires was seen stretching
from coast to coast across the middle of the country this evening. An
unusually large area was moderate to dense smoke, although most of
this was elevated above the surface. The smoke stretched from Oregon
eastward across southern Idaho and northern Nevada across portions of
Colorado and Wyoming, Kansas and adjacent states into the Ohio Valley
and southern Great Lakes states and into western New York. Much of this
area was covered in moderately dense smoke. Thin smoke extended further
into New England and the mid Atlantic and also into southeast Ontario
and western Quebec. A large complex of thunderstorms over Illinois,
Indiana, Michigan and Ohio precluded smoke observation in this area.

Canada:
Mostly patchy light smoke was seen this evening over portions of central
and northern British Columbia and Alberta. Much of this is remnant smoke
from fires burning in British Columbia with possibly some old smoke from
Siberian fires mixed in. There was also fresh smoke mixing in from active
fires in northern British Columbia.

Blowing Dust:
An arc of dust was seen stretching across the northern Gulf of Mexico
from the southeast coast of Texas to an area just off the southeast tip
of Louisiana. This is Saharan dust that has crossed the Atlantic.

Ruminski


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

 


Unless otherwise indicated:
  • Areas of smoke are analyzed using GOES-EAST and GOES-WEST Visible satellite imagery.
  • Only a general description of areas of smoke or significant smoke plumes will be analyzed.
  • A quantitative assessment of the density/amount of particulate or the vertical distribution is not included.
  • Widespread cloudiness may prevent the detection of smoke even from significant fires.