DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0035Z October 16, 2024

SMOKE:
Western Canada/Northwestern/Midwest/Southeastern United States/Gulf of
Mexico/Atlantic Coast...
Wildfire activity across the Pacific Northwest, northwestern Canada and
northern California continue to produce a layer of mixed density smoke
that was seen covering an expansive area from the Pacific Northwest
to the Southeastern United States and the Atlantic Coast. Moderate to
localized thick density smoke attributed to wildfires throughout western
Oregon, central Idaho, southwestern Montana, western/northern Wyoming,
and northern Utah was seen moving east through their respective states
and continued moving east-southeast through the Great Plains where
it mixed with an area of lighter density remnant smoke produced by
seasonal agricultural burning throughout the Southeastern United States,
creating a layer of mixed density remnant smoke that was seen extending
south through the Mississippi River Basin and into the Gulf of Mexico,
where it then continued northeast through the Gulf towards the Atlantic
Coast. Moderate-to-thick density plumes were seen emanating from wildfires
in the Pacific Northwest which were generally blowing east-southeastward
in direction, following the weather system, producing an area of
moderate-to-thick density smoke that was seen covering the majority of
Montana and Wyoming. In addition, several light density plumes attributed
to seasonal burning were seen throughout the Southeastern United States,
contributing to the layer of light density smoke already present across
the region.

Willkens

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.