DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0215Z July 22, 2015

SMOKE:
Alaska:
An area of light remnant smoke was seen over far northwest Alaskan
extending to the northwest into the Arctic Ocean. The smoke detected
earlier over the Gulf of Alaska was no longer discernible due to cloud
cover.

Central Canada/U.S:
A narrow plume of remnant smoke – mostly light with a small ribbon of
moderately dense smoke – was seen over western Hudson Bay and adjoining
Nunavut and extending south into northern Ontario.

Northwest US:
Several fires were actively burning in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and
western Montana as well as southern British Columbia. Cloud cover was
inhibiting the full extent of smoke from most of the fires, however the
most notable plume was originating from a large far that has exploded in
Glacier National Park in northwest Montana. This smoke plume was mostly
moderately dense to dense and quickly spread to the east northeast
reaching into southeast Alberta by sunset.

DUST:
Gulf of Mexico:
An area of light Saharan dust was seen mostly over the southwest Gulf
of Mexico.

Southwest US:
There were several small patches of light blowing dust noted over portions
of the deserts of southern California and also a small area in south
central Arizona.

AEROSOLS:
East Coast:
An area of aerosol continued to be visible off the Atlantic coast this
evening extending from the northeast coast of Florida to the northeast
off the coast of North Carolina. Aerosol models suggest that this is
mostly sulfates but there could also be some remnant smoke and possibly
some Saharan dust mixed in.

Ruminski


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.