DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0315Z July 26, 2014
SMOKE: Canada/U.S: An expansive area of light to heavy density smoke is visible across much of Canada as well as the Northeastern U.S. associated with wildfires occurring surround Great Slave and Great Bear Lakes in Northwest Territories. A light density plume is visible extending southward from the NW Territories through Alberta and southern Saskatchewan. An extension of a light to heavy density plume originating from the NW Territories is visible extending east/southeastward over Nunavut, streaming over northern Saskatchewan, northern Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, the Great Lakes and the entire Northeastern U.S to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The farthest extent into the U.S. is over the northern borders of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Western/Central U.S: A large area of light density smoke is visible moving eastward across much of the central U.S, over the Plains and Mississippi Valley regions. This plume of smoke originates from multiple wildfires occurring in Nevada and Utah over the past few days. Moderate density smoke is seen closest to the point sources of the fire, specifically the “Bear Trap” wildfire occurring in central Nevada. Northwestern U.S: An area of light density, high level smoke is visible slowing moving over Washington state, Oregon, and northern Idaho. This smoke originates from wildfires occurring in Siberia for the past week. DUST: Gulf of Mexico/Texas: A surge of light density Saharan dust is visible moving northwestward over northwestern portions of the Gulf of Mexico, with the farthest current extent seen over the Texas coastline and southern parts of the state. 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