DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0132Z July 31, 2013
North central and Northeast Canada: Dense smoke from large fires over N Manitoba, NW Ontario, N Alberta and S NW Territories was emitted over the last few days remains relatively concentrated downstream of a developing large cyclone over NE Saskatchewan and N Manitoba... with a portion wrapping around the northern side across extreme SE continental Nunavut, all of Hudson Bay and across the northern portion of Quebec reaching far southern Ungava Bay and far N tip of Labrador. Some smoke has been pulled southeast across W Quebec on the western side of the large synopic cyclone over NE of Quebec City...this is a bit less dense but still at least moderately dense. Pacific NW and Northern US Rockies: Copious amounts of thin to moderately dense smoke from the large fires across Central WA (with some contribution from N ID, NW MT fires) has filled the central plateau of WA with an arm of smoke moving N and NW covering Puget Sound and moving toward Vancouver and Victoria in BC under the influence of a weak coastal cyclone. Predominantly the remaining thin smoke moves NE across WA then flattens to due east nearly in line with the Canadian boarder from WA to N MN, before fanning out with some moving NE across the Lake of the Woods into SW Ontario as well moving SE across SD and S MN. The band is about the width of MT wide. California Valley: Thin smoke covers the Northern Valley of California as smoke emitted from the last few days from the Aspen fire has been drawn up under southerly winds.... flow has shifted a bit from the SW and so moderately dense smoke can be seen banking up along the western flanks of the Sierras. Dust/Sand: The salt flats of W and NW Nevada are being resuspended under strong Swly flow... the sand/dust is not particularly dense today and extends about 20-40km NE from each source. This is also being mixed with thin to moderate smoke from the central Sierra Fire (Aspen), though at significantly different elevations. Gallina 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