Monday, August 28, 2017

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0200Z August 29, 2017

SMOKE:
Eastern Canada/Great Lakes...
Light density smoke was seen blanketing northern Alberta, Saskatchewan,
and Manitoba, northern Ontario, the southern half of Hudson Bay, much of
Quebec, and Labrador before exiting the coast of Canada. This layer of
smoke also extended to the south covering the Great Lakes and Ohio River
Valley. The source for this layer is likely the wildfires throughout
northern Alberta and Saskatchewan, as well as a lone wildfire in far
northeastern British Columbia. These wildfires have associated with them
moderate to dense smoke plumes. These smoke plumes are also allowing
moderate density smoke to accumulate within a thin stripe extending
from southern Hudson Bay  south-southwestward across Duluth, Minnesota;
Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, and Omaha, Nebraska.

Western CONUS/Southern British Columbia...
Ongoing wildfires throughout the Pacific Northwest were seen contributing
to a varying density smoke plume that extends from the Cascades out to
southern California along the Pacific Coast, as well as out to El Paso,
Texas along the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains. Remnant smoke over
southeastern New Mexico is quite dense, with it's origins in wildfires
throughout western Montana. The remaining portions of dense smoke within
this area are the plumes from the most intense fires. Moderately dense
smoke extended from the wildfires in northwest California westward
into western portions of the Dakotas. In addition to the fires across
the western CONUS, the fires in British Columbia have re-invigorated,
producing a light to moderate density smoke layer in southern British
Columbia. This may also be contributing some to the plume over the
western CONUS and the plume over eastern Canada.

Alaska/Canada near or just south of 60N...
Thin density smoke was observed extending across southern Alaska,
southern Yukon, and northern portions of British Columbia, Alberta,
Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. This smoke is likely remnant smoke from
fires in British Columbia over two weeks ago that has circumnavigated
the Earth at around 60N.

DUST:
Yucatan Peninsula...
A layer of Saharan dust appears to have made its way over the Yucatan
Peninsula, portions of northern Central America, and the central Gulf
of Mexico. This layer is drifting off to the north and west.

Central Atlantic
A second Saharan dust layer could be seen over the central Atlantic
Ocean. This layer was seen moving slowly to the west-northwest, which
has a trajectory that leads north of the Leeward Islands.

Hosley


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.