DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1541Z May 14, 2014
Central Canada/Northern Plains: An extensive plume of aerosols is seen in early visible satellite imagery from GOES-West stretching from northeastern Alberta and northern Saskatchewan southeast over eastern Montana, majority of North Dakota, South Dakota and southern Minnesota. The vast majority of this this is unknown per satellite analysis, however portions of this plume that extends across southern Saskatchewan, Montana and the Dakotas may have some remnant smoke entrained from smoke producing fires analyzed yesterday across southern Saskatchewan province. It may also be possible that dust from Asia may have been transported across the Pacific and is being detected from satellite coming up and over the ridge of high pressure that is positioned across the eastern Pacific Ocean. Pacific Ocean (offshore of southern California): Two distinct aerosol plumes were observed offshore of southern California and Baja of California moving southwest. The southern and larger plume is believed to be comprised of both smoke and dust. The smoke from this plume originated primarily from a wildfire that continues to burn across northwestern Baja of California. Dust was kicked up yesterday across southern California and Baja of California and has since mixed with the smoke. The second, smaller plume is believed to be remnant smoke from a fire that was burning in Santa Barbara county yesterday. Warren 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.ospo.noaa.gov/Products/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