DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1745Z May 22, 2015
SMOKE: Western Canada: An extensive area of light to heavy-density smoke is visible stretching from eastern Alaska through Yukon, northeastern British Columbia, the NW Territories, across central Canada through Alberta, and Saskatchewan. This smoke is associated with several large wildfires located in northern Yukon, northern British Columbia, and Saskatchewan and is seen moving north. Central Canada/US: A large area of light to heavy-density smoke is visible extending from the NW Territories, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nunavut, and Ontario. Although there are agricultural burns in progress in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, an enormous wildfire near Garson Lake on the border of Saskatchewan and Alberta is the main contributor of the heaviest smoke. The smoke is moving SE, but a burst of smoke from the source is visible going west. The remnant smoke of these events is visible crossing the border into the United States affecting Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Western Gulf of Mexico: An area of medium-density remnant smoke continues to drift slowly NW from the Yucatan Peninsula and Western Gulf of Mexico this evening. This area of smoke is mostly a result of seasonal agricultural burning and oil exploration in Central America. Florida: Several small plumes of light-density smoke are visible moving offshore the Gulf of Mexico and into the Atlantic Ocean from a few fires near Big Cypress and the Everglades Wildlife Management Area in the Everglades. Oegerle 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