DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0215Z June 24, 2013
Smoke: US: The majority of the central US, Mississippi Valley, Great Lakes, and northeastern US is covered by light to heavy density smoke. The most dense areas of smoke can be seen moving eastward through the central Plains states and lower Mississippi Valley region. The majority of this smoke is from the large wildfires that continue to burn through southern Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and northern Mexico. Several agricultural fires are also burning this evening through the lower Mississippi Valley region and is likely adding to the large area of smoke in that region. Canada: An expansive area of light to dense smoke is covering a large portion of Canada this evening, extending from the Yukon Territory eastward off the Newfoundland and Labrador coast. The heaviest of this smoke is located over the eastern portion of Canada through portions of central Quebec and into Newfoundland. This very large area of smoke continues to be from not only the large wildfires burning through eastern Canada but also through central and northwestern Canada as well as from Alaska. Alaska: Several wildfires are still burning this evening through portions of western and central Alaska. An area of mostly light smoke mixed with some moderately dense smoke can be seen moving towards the north through extreme northern Alaska. Dust/Unknown Aerosol: Gulf of Mexico: An area of dust mixed with possible smoke and other unknown aerosols can be seen through the northern part of the Gulf of Mexico this evening. This could be possible high level dust transported from Africa per the aerosol models but also could have some smoke and other sulfates mixed in. -Belge THIS TEXT PRODUCT IS PRIMARILY INTENDED TO DESCRIBE SIGNIFICANT AREAS OF 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