Tuesday, August 13, 2024

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0000Z August 14, 2024

SMOKE:
Canada and Northeastern CONUS...
A layer of varying density smoke was seen continuing to blanket a large
area covering much of Canada and the northwestern, central, and eastern
CONUS. Smoke from the ongoing wildfire activity in northern, central,
and western Canada was moderate to thick in density. The thick smoke was
moving east-northeast and east across Canada to the Canadian Archipelago,
where an anticyclone over Hudson Bay is incorporating the thick smoke
into its circulation. From there, some is moving east-southeast to
southeast across Ontario, Quebec, the Maritime Provinces, and the
Northeastern CONUS. Some of the thick smoke is also being drawn south
and southeastward due to a cyclone over northern Alberta.

Northwestern, central, and southeastern CONUS/GOMEX/Atlantic Ocean...
Active smoke emissions were also observed emanating from fires across
the Pacific Northwest. The moderate to thick smoke was seen moving
west-northwest from the Pacific Northwest and Intermountain West into
the Dakotas, where the smoke then begins to move southeast. The smoke
moves that way to the Carolinas and offshore. As the smoke reaches those
locations, some is drawn south-southwestward across the southeastern
CONUS into the northern Gulf of Mexico and southern Plains and Mississippi
Valley by high pressure centered over northern Arkansas.

SMOKE/DUST:
Northern Atlantic…
An area of likely mixed smoke and dust was seen moving east-northeastward
across the Atlantic. The area is likely remnant smoke from Canada coupled
with an area of Saharan Dust that broke off a day or two ago from the
main area of Saharan Dust described below.

DUST:
Tropical Atlantic and Caribbean Sea...
A moderate amount of Saharan Dust was seen extending westward from the
African Coast to the western Caribbean as far as Jamaica and eastern Cuba.

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 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

 


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.