DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1700Z July 19, 2022
SMOKE: Central and Eastern Canada/Most of the Lower 48... The very large mass of thin density smoke which has been seen for many days now continues to cover the majority of central and eastern Canada and the lower 48 with the exception of portions of the Mid-Atlantic region, Southeast, and western U.S. This smoke is likely from a combination of long range transport from recent and ongoing wildfire activity in central and northwestern Canada as well as Alaska. Some regional and localized impacts of a few wildfires in Texas and the western U.S. are also occurring and contributing to some of this smoke. Currently, a sizable batch of moderate to thick density smoke emanating from a number of large active wildfires in northeastern Alberta, northern and central Saskatchewan, and west central Manitoba was seen this morning spreading to the east reaching the western part of Hudson Bay. Other areas of detached moderate to thick density smoke from these wildfires were noted moving to the east over southeastern Ontario and southern Quebec and from Indiana to southeastern New York. Northwestern and North Central U.S… The Moose Fire in east central Idaho was observed producing thick smoke which moved to the east and southeast spreading into the valleys of southeastern Idaho. In addition to affecting southeastern Idaho, remnant moderate density smoke from this fire also was visible in areas of northwestern and north central Wyoming, southeastern Montana, and portions of the Dakotas. It is possible that thinner density smoke from the recent and ongoing larger wildfires over central and northwestern Canada and Alaska was also mixing in with the smoke from the nearby Moose Fire and other fires in this part of the U.S. South Central U.S… A leftover detached patch of moderate to thick density smoke was observed this morning moving to the west and southwest over southwestern Texas while a second detached patch of moderate to thick density smoke over northeastern Texas, southeastern Oklahoma, southwestern Arkansas and northwestern Louisiana was seen moving to the east. These areas of smoke were attributed to at least a couple larger wildfires which were burning in north central Texas to the southwest of Dallas-Ft. Worth and over east central Texas to the north of Houston. Overall, believe some of the thinner density smoke across the south central U.S. was from long range transport from the recent and ongoing larger wildfire activity occurring in central and northwestern Canada and Alaska. Alaska/Northwestern Canada… Again, significant cloud cover over much of Alaska limited satellite detection of any remaining fires and/or smoke which had been impacting the region recently though a possibly area of very thin density leftover smoke from the recent wildfire activity in Alaska and northwestern Canada was barely visible over northeastern Alaska and extending into northwestern Canada. DUST: Cuba/Gulf of Mexico/Florida/Bahamas… A southwest to northeast elongated possible leftover swath of Saharan dust was seen this morning extending from eastern Cuba and the far eastern Gulf of Mexico across far southern Florida and over the Bahamas. 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 map: https://www.ospo.noaa.gov/data/land/fire/currenthms.jpg Smoke data: https://satepsanone.nesdis.noaa.gov/pub/FIRE/web/HMS/Smoke_Polygons Fire data: https://satepsanone.nesdis.noaa.gov/pub/FIRE/web/HMS/Fire_Points ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING THIS PRODUCT SHOULD BE SENT TO: SSDFireTeam@noaa.gov