DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1600Z September 6, 2016
SMOKE: California/Northern Nevada : The Gap Fire in far northern California continues to emit moderately dense to thick smoke which spread to the south and fanned out covering a portions of both northern and central California. Thinner density smoke from this fire also moved to the east and northeast in a relatively narrow band into northwestern and north central Nevada nearing the Nevada-Oregon-Idaho common border region. The thin density smoke from this fire also moved to the south through much of central California and offshore over central and south central California. Farther to the south, a smaller patch of moderately dense to thick smoke from the ongoing Soberanes Fire in Monterey County near the coast was visible spreading to the south and offshore. Thinner density smoke from both the Soberanes Fire and the Gap Fire merged over the Pacific off the coast of south central California. Colorado/Southeastern Wyoming: A wildfire erupted this afternoon in eastern Rio Blanco County of northwestern Colorado resulting in a rapidly expanding moderately dense to thick smoke plume which moved off to the northeast reaching into southeastern Wyoming. Middle and Lower Mississippi Valley: Numerous primarily thin density smoke plumes from what are believed to be mainly seasonal agricultural fires were visible moving generally to the north and northwest over portions of the Middle and Lower Mississippi Valley region from northeastern Louisiana and northwestern Mississippi northward over eastern Arkansas to southeastern Missouri. DUST: Southern Texas/Southwestern Gulf of Mexico/Yucatan/Caribbean/Cuba/Puerto Rico/Virgin Islands: A large area of most likely Saharan dust continues to be visible now moving west and covering the area from southern Texas/northern Mexico across the southwestern Gulf of Mexico and the Bay of Campeche as well as Cuba and the Caribbean. Farther to the east, a narrow swath of likely Saharan dust was moving to the east and once again appeared to be over Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and extended to the east and southeast over the Lesser Antilles. JS Earlier This Morning... SMOKE: Indiana/eastern Missouri: An area of light residual smoke can be seen moving east and extending across eastern Missouri and Indiana. Smoke is most likely from agricultural fires burning across the Mississippi Valley during the last couple of days. J Kibler 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