Thursday, July 17, 2014

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0330Z July 18, 2014

SMOKE:
Canada/U.S:
Wildfires occurring throughout the Northwest Territories surrounding
Great Bear and Great Slave Lake, northern Saskatchewan, and British
Columbia are all producing light to heavy density smoke seen across much
of Canada and the contiguous U.S. Light density smoke is seen across
most of western and central Canada, as far east as western portions of
Quebec, and to the northeast across the Labrador Sea and the western
Greenland coastline. Moderate to heavy density smoke is visible in Canada
over Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, northern Ontario, and over Hudson
Bay. The smoke associated with the Canadian fires is descending southward
over the U.S, with light to heavy density smoke encompassing much of the
northwestern U.S, Plains region and upper Mississippi Valley. Light to
moderate density smoke is seen across north-central U.S, and spreading
further eastward, specifically the Ohio Valley, Great Lakes region,
upper Mid-Atlantic , and currently extending across southern New York,
as well as areas previously mentioned affected by heavy smoke.

In addition to smoke associated with the Canadian wildfires, wildfires in
Washington state and Oregon that have more recently begun are emitting
light to heavy density smoke as well. These smoke plumes are moving
eastward, combining with the much broader area of smoke moving southward
from Canada. Western U.S. states are most affected by these smoke plumes,
specifically Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah,
and Colorado.

California:
The Bully wildfire in Shasta County, CA continues to burn and emit light
to moderate density smoke across much of northern California. Light
density smoke is visible to the south near Sacramento, CA, and northward
to the California/Oregon border.

DUST:
Southwestern U.S:
A large area of blowing dust is visible over the southwestern U.S,
rotating clockwise over southeastern California, southern Nevada, along
the Arizona/Utah border, and extending to the southeast over southwestern
New Mexico and western Texas.

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

 


Unless otherwise indicated:
  • Areas of smoke are analyzed using GOES-EAST and GOES-WEST Visible satellite imagery.
  • Only a general description of areas of smoke or significant smoke plumes will be analyzed.
  • A quantitative assessment of the density/amount of particulate or the vertical distribution is not included.
  • Widespread cloudiness may prevent the detection of smoke even from significant fires.