DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0215Z August 14, 2015
SMOKE: Western/North-central U.S./Southern Canada A large amount of smoke remains over much of the western and north central U.S. extending into southern Canada. Numerous intense wildfires are burning throughout central/northern California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and northwestern Montana, as well as more wildfires popping up in southern British Columbia and southern Alberta. These wildfires are producing thick smoke that is traveling east through the western U.S. into southern British Columbia, southern Alberta, Saskatchewan, and into Manitoba. The smoke is seen extending into the north-central U.S this evening as far as South Dakota/Minnesota. Central Canada: Wildfires remain around Great Slave Lake in Northwest Territories, with light to moderate density smoke emanating east-southeast through northern Saskatchewan, northern Manitoba and over Hudson Bay. DUST: Western U.S: Multiple small areas of blowing dust are seen through northeastern California and south-central Oregon moving to north-northeast. Some specific areas that this dust is originating from are Honey Lake, Goose Lake, and Summer Lake. Heeps From Earlier today... SMOKE: Western and Central Canada/Northwest to Central US and south into the Mississippi Valley: Multiple impressive moderate density smoke plumes were emanating from wildfires in central/northwestern California, eastern Oregon, southwestern/northern Washington, western Idaho along the Idaho Oregon border, and central Montana. These heavier density smoke plumes contributed to an expansive area of light to moderate density remnant smoke that expanded from the Pacific Northwest into southwestern Canada through southern British Columbia and much of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, the Northern Plains, the Mississippi Valley and as far east as Ohio Valley. The smoke appeared to be more diffuse as it made its way into the Northern Plains and even more so as it moved eastward. Wildfires in northern Alberta, and the Northwest Territories produced moderate density smoke plumes that were moving east from northern Alberta and Saskatchewan to central Manitoba; which were contributing to another area of light to moderate remnant smoke that was moving east over northern Ontario and the southern portions of Hudson Bay. The heavy density plumes are seen around the wildfires in central California moving northward in to southwestern Oregon, in northern Idaho moving eastward into western Montana, and lastly in southern Washington. 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