DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0200Z May 16, 2015

SMOKE:
Western Canada/Central Canada:
A broad area of light density remnant smoke was seen over western and
central Canada this afternoon/evening in satellite imagery.  Light
density residual smoke from yesterday's wildfires in British Columbia
and Alberta can be seen in northern Alberta,  Saskatchewan, Manitoba,
and into southern Hudson Bay. Another area of light density residual
smoke spanning from the Beaufort Sea to the Northwest Territories
southern border was observed moving south behind a polar front and
originated from Asian fires.  A wildfire near Little Bobtail Lake in
central British Columbia was producing a heavy smoke plume that was
moving to the southwest.  Light density remnant smoke that was produced
earlier from this wildfire continues to linger north of Vancouver Island
along the British Columbia coastline to the southwestern Yukon coast.
Multiple agricultural burns were observed in Saskatchewan and Manitoba,
which produced light density smoke plumes mostly moving south.

Western Gulf of Mexico:
An area of light density remnant smoke was seen from the Bay of Campeche
to the southern Tamaulipas coastline and north of the Yucatan Peninsula.
This area of remnant smoke originates from numerous agricultural burns
and prescribed burns in Central America and oil exploration in the Bay
of Campeche.

-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

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.