DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0130Z October 20, 2017
SMOKE: California... Wildfires along the Sierra Nevada were seen producing thin to moderate density smoke plumes. The most intense smoke plume was associated with a fire in Yosemite National Park. Most of the smoke emitted from these fires was being blown off to the northeast. In northern California, smoke was likely being emitted from the persistent wildfires along the coastal range of northern California. However, cloud cover associated with a frontal system limited the analysis of smoke in this region. Even with the cloud cover impinging on the region, precipitation had not begun in the vicinity of the fires through the end of the analysis. Also of note...in the southern San Joaquin Valley, a feature was seen that could be remnant smoke trapped within the valley. This could also be photochemical haze or even a little dust. Texas Gulf Coast... A wildfire in McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge continued to burn today, although not as intense as yesterday. Thin density smoke was produced and covered southeastern Texas. The exact extent of the smoke plume was obscured by cloud cover. Southeastern CONUS... Agricultural burns throughout the southeastern US were observed producing light to moderate density smoke plumes. The observed smoke plumes were seen mainly in Alabama, Georgia, the Florida panhandle, and the northern portions of the Lower Mississippi River Basin. There were likely smoke emissions from fires throughout southeastern Arkansas and Louisiana, but cirrus cloud cover was obfuscating any of those emissions. South-central Canada/Northern Plains... A dozen or so agricultural burns across the Northern Great Plains were seen producing light to moderate density smoke. This smoke was seen being blown off to the northeast. Again, cloud cover interfered with analysis of smoke across south-central Saskatchewan to the southern shores of Lake Winnipegosis. DUST: Tropical North Atlantic... Saharan dust was seen across much of the North Atlantic extending from Hispaniola and the southeastern Bahamas to southeast of Bermuda and across the Lesser Antilles into the open tropical north Atlantic Ocean. Central Nevada... Blowing dust was observed emanating from a dry lake bed in Lander County just west of Iron Mountain. This dust was seen moving to the northeast as it dispersed. -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