DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0315 October 8, 2012
PLEASE NOTE: GOES-13 has been replaced with GOES-14. GOES-14 is centered at 00N105W which is 30 degrees further west than GOES-13. This position has an impact on the ability to detect smoke, particularly light smoke in the evening, compared to GOES-13. It is possible that areas of light smoke that would have been detected previously are now not discernible. Northwestern US: A large area of thin density smoke covered western Montana, northern and central Idaho, and a good portion of Washington. The smoke also extended offshore of the Pacific Northwest. This area of thin density smoke was due to ongoing fires over central Idaho, western Montana, and central and southern Washington. Locally moderately dense to thick smoke was visible closer to the active fires burning in this region. Northwestern Canada: A number of fires were detected across northeastern British Columbia and northwestern Alberta. However, significant cloudiness in the area prevented much in the way of smoke detection. JS 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