DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0100Z August 23, 2020
SMOKE:
Western and Central U.S./Southwestern and South Central Canada/Gulf of
Mexico/Northern and Central Mexico/Pacific off the Coast of Southern
California and Baja/Central and Northern Plains…
A very large smoke plume originating from numerous wildfires in
California, Utah and Colorado can be seen covering the entire western
half of the U.S., and extending further to the south over Baja California,
Mexico and the western Gulf of Mexico, to the west over for approximately
500 miles offshore over the Pacific ocean, and further to the north into
southern Saskatchewan/Canada. The highest smoke is observed over the
states of California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, central-western Kansas and
Nebraska, Wyoming, central-eastern Montana, central-southern Idaho, and
central-southern Oregon. The core of that smoke plume is moving towards
the east towards Illinois and Wisconsin. Areas of moderate smoke surrounds
the states above extending to the south into New Mexico and Arizona,
to the east into Oklahoma and Iowa, and to the north into the Dakotas,
in addition to isolated pockets of moderate smoke over the western Gulf
of Mexico, and the Pacific ocean off Baja California. Very high smoke
concentration was seen to the immediately to the northeast of those
major wildfires in California, including Pyrocumulus development over
the River Fire in Monterey County/CA and the W-5 Cold Springs Fire in
Lassen County/CA. Stagnant smoke can be seen along the San Joaquin and
San Fernando valleys, contributing to detrimental air quality condition
across the entire area.
Kansas/Oklahoma…
Numerous small and short-duration agricultural fires were observed across
central Kansas and central-northern Oklahoma. Those fires contributed
light smoke to the area, which is already under the influence of the
larger smoke plume from western wildfires.
Lower Mississippi Valley…
Numerous agricultural fires were detected during the afternoon hours
producing mostly light smoke with occasional moderate concentration
associated with some of the larger burns. The smoke was seen dispersing
towards the south.
DUST:
Caribbean Region/Subtropical Atlantic…
Light Saharan dust was observed approximately 400 miles north of
Hispaniola and ahead of Tropical Storm Laura. Additional Saharan dust
was visible extending from the coast of Africa westward over the eastern
and central subtropical Atlantic.
WS
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