DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0300Z September 15, 2012
Currently: Northwestern US: This morning, an area of thin-density smoke was visible streaming across northwestern Washington from the Pacific Ocean and then into southern Canada. Just a bit south, a larger area of thin-density smoke could be seen intermixing with clouds over Washington, Oregon, Idaho, western Montana, and Wyoming, likely due to the multiple wildfires that continue to burn in that region. Fires continued to burn throughout the day creating a large areas of medium to thick density smoke embedded with the larger area. Smoke streaming in from the Pacific Ocean continued to be visible this evening. Earlier Today: Southern Canada/Upper Mississippi Valley: An area of light remnant smoke extends from the Pacific Ocean, across south-central Canada (Alberta/Saskatchewan/Manitoba), and then drops into the Upper Mississippi Valley and Great Lakes regions. This remnant smoke is likely from the scattered fires across portions of Canada as well as from the wildfires in the Pacific Northwest. LP/Vogt 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