DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0300Z June 29, 2014
SMOKE: Western Canada: Wildfires continue to burn across much of western Canada, centered around Great Slave Lake in Northwest Territories as well as northern Alberta, emitting a large amount of light to heavy density smoke that can be seen over northern Alberta, most of Northwest Territories, western and central Yukon and over Hudson Bay. Much of the smoke across Yukon and Hudson Bay is difficult to discern due to clouds over the region. Medium density smoke is located over Northwest Territories, northern Alberta, and western Yukon, and heavy density smoke is currently focused over Great Slave Lake. Eastern Canada: Light density remnant smoke most likely originating from the wildfires across Northwest Territories is seen moving eastward, extending from the Labrador Sea to the south, over Labrador, eastern Quebec, Newfoundland, southeastern Canada and dipping into New England, as far south as southern New Hampshire. Medium density smoke is seen embedded within this area, from the Labrador Sea as far south as the Gulf of St. Lawrence. A relatively new wildfire appearing in northern Quebec is producing light to heavy density smoke. Light to moderate smoke is seen as far as the Labrador shoreline, and heavy density smoke remains close to the wildfire. Eastern Arizona: Two wildfires currently burning in eastern Arizona are both emitting smoke. The northern wildfire (titled the “San Juan” fire) is emitting light density smoke extending over western New Mexico, moderate density smoke extends as far as the New Mexico border, and heavy density smoke remains in close proximity to the fire. The smoke currently appears to be emitted to the west. Light to moderate density smoke from the southern wildfire remains within 30-40 miles of the fire, moving to the northeast. AEROSOLS: Southern Plains: A mixture of aerosol is moving northwest across Oklahoma, southeastern Colorado, and northern Texas. The composition and origin of this aerosol is uncertain, although it is likely a combination of Saharan Air Layer dust that can currently be seen across the Gulf of Mexico, smoke from wildfires occurring across Arizona and Texas, and general haze pollution. DUST: Gulf of Mexico/southeastern Texas: Large and dense Saharan Air Layer is currently tracking across central and western portions of the Gulf of Mexico, protruding into the U.S. over southeastern Texas and likely into Oklahoma and southern Kansas. Northwestern Sonora: A surge of blowing dust is currently moving northeast across northwestern Sonora, remaining to the south of the Mexico/U.S. border. Heeps 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