DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0230Z July 24, 2020

SMOKE:
Western U.S…
A large area of thin density smoke was seen over northern and Central
California, western and northern Nevada, southern and eastern Oregon,
and western and central Idaho. The smoke also was present off the coast of
northern and central California. The smoke was due primarily to at least 4
wildfires burning in northeastern California including the July Complex,
the Modoc Lightning Fires, the Gold Fire, and the Hog Fire. Moderate to
thick density smoke was visible near and to the east and northeast of
these fires affecting northeastern California as well as a portion of
southern Oregon and northwestern Nevada.

Southeastern Montana/Western Dakotas…
A rather large fire in southeastern Montana was producing moderate to
thick density smoke which fanned out and thinned in density as it spread
to the east and northeast covering southeastern Montana and portions of
the western Dakotas.

Bay of Campeche…
An unusually dense patch of smoke from the oil rigs in the Bay of Campeche
was seen in this region.

DUST:
Saharan dust remains off the West coast of Africa and as far east out
over the Central subtropical Atlantic Ocean in satellite imagery.

JS


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/data/land/fire/currenthms.jpg
GIS:    ftp://satpsanone.nesdis.noaa.gov/FIRE/HMS/GIS/
KML:    http://www.ospo.noaa.gov/data/land/fire/fire.kml (fire)
        http://www.ospo.noaa.gov/data/land/fire/smoke.kml (smoke)

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.