DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1700Z August 21, 2012
Western Canada: Several large smoke producing wildfires in western Canada are responsible for an expansive area of moderate density smoke that includes south central Northwest Territories and northern British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Light density remnant smoke extends farther south and into the central parts of the named provinces and even reaches into the northern US (see below) Western and Central US: A light density remnant smoke plume covers much of the Pacific Northwest and central plains this morning. Smoke has likely merged from 2 different origins- the wildfires in western Canada and the wildfires in northern California and central Idaho. Remnant smoke is observed as far south and east as Oklahoma, Missouri, and Arkansas. Moderate density smoke is seen streaming north of the active fires, stretching from northern California to southern Washington. Ramirez 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