DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0200Z April 22, 2015
SMOKE Pacific Northwest: A large area of elevated light to moderate density smoke was detected in the Pacific Northwest in GOES-13 visible imagery. Moderate density smoke was seen stretching from southeast Washington to northeast Nevada moving east while slightly less dense elevated smoke can be seen to the east in southern Idaho, northern Utah and southwest Colorado. Another area of elevated light density smoke can be seen along British Columbia's coastline and the Pacific Northwest coastline. Both areas of smoke originated from fires in Siberia along the eastern portions of the Mongolia/Russia border. Central Canada/Northern Plains/Mid-West: A stream of elevated moderate density smoke that also originated from Siberia fires was seen moving along the polar jet axis through the Northwest Territories, Alberta, Saskatchewan, northeastern Montana, western North Dakota, western South Dakota, eastern Nebraska, southern Iowa, northern Missouri, central Illinois, and southern Indiana. Central Plains: Several light density smoke plumes were seen in Oklahoma and Kansas and were moving eastward. The smoke was associated with agricultural and prescribed burns. Eastern US: An area of elevated light density smoke that originated from Siberia fires was seen spanning from the Mid-Atlantic states to the Northeast coastline and was moving to the northeast. Gulf of Mexico: Light density remnant smoke was seen along the Yucatan Peninsula coastline in southwestern Gulf of Mexico. The smoke originated from agricultural and prescribed burns in Central America and oil exploration in the Gulf of Campeche. Upper level clouds obscured any observation of smoke farther to the west. -Cronin 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