DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1645Z August 11, 2012
Alaska/Northern Yukon and Northwest Territories: A large area of light and some moderately dense remnant smoke can be seen over central Alaska and into far northwestern Canada. This smoke is believed to be high level smoke from Siberia that has tracked eastward across the northern Pacific Ocean. Canada: Light to moderately dense remnant smoke continues to cover most of western and central Canada today. This very large area of smoke is likely a mix of remnant smoke from the large fires burning across northern British Columbia/Alberta and central Saskatchewan along with additional remnant smoke from Siberian wildfires. U.S. Plains: Large area of thin and moderately dense remnant smoke can be seen across most of the Plains states this morning and early afternoon. The majority of this smoke is likely from the very large and numerous wildfires burning throughout the western US but there may be some additional remnant smoke being mixed in from the Siberian fires as well as the Canadian fires. Western U.S.: Numerous large wildfires continue to burn today across northern California, northern Nevada and into Idaho. This is creating an elongated area of moderately dense smoke which stretches from California, eastward towards Wyoming. The separate area of smoke just to the north of this across western Oregon/Washington is likely remnant from the Siberian wildfires as it continues to head eastward. Another area of remnant smoke can be seen moving northward though central California. This is from the the large wildfire that continues to burn across south/central California. Belge THIS TEXT PRODUCT IS PRIMARILY INTENDED TO DESCRIBE SIGNIFICANT AREAS 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.osdpd.noaa.gov/ml/land/hms.html GIS: http://www.firedetect.noaa.gov/viewer.htm KML: http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/FIRE/kml.html ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REGARDING THIS PRODUCT SHOULD BE SENT TO SSDFireTeam@noaa.gov