DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1615Z July 18, 2015
SMOKE: Central and Northern Canada: A large amount of light to medium density smoke is visible extending through a majority of central and northern Canada. The heaviest areas of smoke include Nunavut, NW Territories, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the Hudson Bay. Light smoke is visible surrounding these areas, as well as entering Ontario and extending south over the US border into Montana from Saskatchewan. This smoke originates from the wildfires continuing to burn in Saskatchewan, NW Territories, Manitoba, as well as Alaska. Eastern Canada/Greenland: Areas of light to medium density remnant smoke are visible moving SE from Greenland as well as Quebec and St. Pierre and Miquelon. The heaviest areas of smoke are located right offshore Quebec as well as the Greenland coast. This smoke originates from the wildfires burning in Canada as well as Alaska. Alaska: An area of light density smoke is seen moving east from central Alaska into Yukon and the northern NW Territories. Another plume of light density smoke is visible moving eastward from the base of the Aleutian islands towards the southern Alaskan coast over Kodiak Island towards the US/Canadian border in the Gulf of Alaska. Due to the extensive cloud cover over the region, it is difficult to determine the exact locations and densities of the smoke. The smoke likely originates from wildfires that have occurred in the central part of the state. Northern Plains: A large area of light density smoke is visible swirling around the northern Plains region, extending through Manitoba, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana. This smoke is remnant and originates from the wildfires burning in Canada and Alaska. Southwest US: A large plume of light to medium-density smoke is visible extending from southern California as far east as central Utah. This smoke originates from the “North” wildfire occurring near the Cajon Pass, to the northwest of San Bernardino. DUST: Central U.S: Areas of blowing dust are visible across much of the central U.S, seen moving inland from the Gulf of Mexico into Texas and is moving northward through the southern Plains and over much of the Mississippi Valley. The dust is visible as far north as central Nebraska. The dust is Saharan in origin. Atlantic Ocean/Gulf of Mexico: Another surge of Saharan dust is seen moving across the Atlantic towards the U.S. Its current extent appears to remain offshore of Florida as well as into central portions of the Gulf of Mexico. 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