DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0130Z July 26, 2015
Smoke: Alaska/Yukon Territory: Wildfires in central Alaska are emitting light to heavy density smoke which along with remnant smoke from these fires is moving to the east across the Yukon Territory and moving into the Northwest Territories. Canada/Northern US: A large area of light smoke exists over north and central/south central Canada, including Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario as well as the northern US states of Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the U.P. of Michigan. Small areas of moderately dense smoke are analyzed over north Manitoba and Ontario. While some of this smoke could still be remaining from previous wildfires in western Canada, much of the smoke is believed to have been transported from wildfires burning in Siberia. A few fires burning yesterday near Great Slave Lake in northwest Canada and fires in the northwestern US also have contributed to the smoke mixture in the atmosphere. Western US: A large area of light density smoke is emitted from the fire in northern California spreading in all directions through Nevada, Oregon, Idaho, Washington and spreading west in to the Pacific Ocean. Another patch of thin smoke is present across central Idaho and southwest Montana. There are several larger fires in northern California which are producing moderately dense to dense smoke. This smoke is moving the east. Dust: Saharan dust is present across the far western portion of the Gulf of Mexico and extends north across much of southwestern Texas moving towards the west coast. -Kemal/Salemi 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