DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0245Z September 16, 2014

SMOKE:
Western U.S:
Multiple large wildfire complexes throughout the western U.S. are
pumping out moderately dense to heavy density smoke, visible over much
of the region and moving eastward. The farthest eastward extent of the
smoke is over South Dakota and Nebraska, and northward is reaching the
Washington/British Columbia border. Moderately dense smoke is visible
over Washington, Oregon, Idaho, western Montana, northwestern Nevada,
and northern California. The heaviest density smoke is currently being
emitted from the King wildfire complex in California, as well as a
separate area of heavy density smoke moving over eastern Washington,
northern Idaho, and western Montana.

Western Canada:
Moderately dense to heavy density smoke is currently being emitted
from multiple wildfires occurring in British Columbia, generally moving
eastward. This area of smoke can be seen southward towards the Washington
border, as well as eastward into Alberta, and the heaviest smoke is
focused close to the wildfire sources.

DUST:
An extent of Saharan dust is visible over eastern and central portions
of the Gulf of Mexico, currently surging over central Florida as far as
a line west-east just south of Orlando. The full extent of the dust is
difficult to discern due to cloud cover from convection across the Gulf
Coast states.

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.