DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0210Z August 15, 2020
SMOKE:
Colorado/Central and Southern Plains/Mississippi Valley/Northwestern
Gulf of Mexico/Northern Mexico...
GOES Visible imagery observed four large complex fires with the Pine
Gulch and the Grizzly Creek fire complexes in Garfield County, Colorado
along with the Cameron Peak Fire and another large fire complex in north
central Colorado observed emitting heavy density smoke this evening
over most of Northern Colorado. The smoke is progressing Eastward in
satellite imagery. A large region of moderate to heavy density smoke from
these large fire complexes was seen over eastern Utah, much of Colorado,
Southern Nebraska, most of Kansas, most of Oklahoma, and extending far
Southeastward away from the fire activity over Eastern Texas and now
progressing offshore over the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Light density
smoke was also observed farther to the east and northeast across the
Mississippi Valley and parts of the Midwest and North Central U.S. and the
Great Lakes Region. Light density smoke was also observed over Southern
Texas and Northern Mexico in satellite imagery.
Northern California/Northwestern Nevada/Southern Oregon/Southern
Idaho/Southwestern Montana...
The Red Salmon fire Complex in Humboldt County of Northwestern California
was observed this evening emitting moderate to heavy density smoke
progressing slowly Northward and Northwestward towards Southern Oregon
and over the Pacific Ocean off the Oregon/California coast. The latest
GOES visible imagery observed several large fire complexes with one
in Northwestward Nevada, another in Southern Idaho, and another in
Southwestern Montana with moderate to heavy density smoke observed from
these fires progressing Northeastward this evening in satellite imagery.
Southern California/Southern Nevada/Baja...
The Lake Fire and another fire complex to the Southeast in the San
Gabriel Mountains in Southern California to the East and to the North of
Los Angles was observed this evening emitting moderate to heavy density
smoke progressing Northward and Northeastward in satellite imagery. A
wildfire complex in northern Baja was also observed and is responsible
for a large area of light to moderate density smoke which covered most
of the northern Baja and much of southern California. The smoke from the
fire complexes in Southern California is progressing Northeastward towards
Southern Nevada. Light density smoke was seen over a portion of the Los
Angeles basin as well as over San Diego and offshore from the Southern
California coast over the Pacific Ocean this evening in satellite imagery.
Central and Southeastern Canada/Northeastern United States...
Light density smoke leftover from the Siberian wildfires with some
contribution as well from wildfires in Ontario was seen from southern
Hudson bay over eastern Ontario, southern Quebec, and much of the
Northeastern United States earlier in the day. Light to moderate density
smoke was observed over parts of Southern Quebec and Northern New England
over Maine and just north of the New York-Vermont-New Hampshire along
the border with Canada earlier in the day and further to the Northeast
over the Canadian Maritime this evening. Light density smoke was also
visible wrapping around low pressure across northern Saskatchewan,
northern Manitoba, and southern Nunavut earlier in the day.
Alaska...
A large region of light to moderate density smoke from Siberian wildfires
could be seen over most of Alaska with the exception of far Southeastern
Alaska. The smoke also was visible over portions of the Arctic Ocean,
the Bering Sea, and the Gulf of Alaska in satellite imagery.
Sambucci
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