Saturday, July 20, 2024

DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 2310Z July 20, 2024

SMOKE:
Canada/United States/Atlantic Ocean...
As observed in the morning and continuing into the evening, a significant
amount of mixed density smoke attributed to a combination of seasonal
fire activity in Canada and the United States has produced a large mass of
observable smoke. The smoke has continued extending through Northeastern
province of British Columbia and mixing with smoke from various regional
wildfires. The large mass of smoke (ranging from light to heavy density)
has continued to stretch across the northern continental plain before
dispersing into the Atlantic Ocean. Thick density smoke was mostly
contained in Canada and parts of northern U.S. As the mass moved towards
the east, light to moderate density smoke was observed dispersing down
from Canada into the USA, with moderate smoke extending as far south
as Texas.

Northwest U.S. ...
As observed in the morning and continuing into the evening, moderate
smoke produced from numerous large wildfires in Oregon and California,
was observed extending across California and most of Oregon, before
progressing north across Washington and Idaho. The smoke has continued
to mix into the larger area of moderate smoke produced from the large
wildfires in northern Canada.

AEROSOL/SMOKE:
Central-Southern Mexico/Gulf of Mexico/Yucatan Peninsula/Central
America/Cuba/Hispaniola/Pacific Ocean...
A large area of predominantly light to moderate smoke attributed to
widespread seasonal fire activity throughout central-southern Mexico,
Yucatan Peninsula, Central America and northern South America was observed
today over southern Mexico, Cuba, Hispaniola, the Gulf of Mexico, Central
America, and the Pacific Ocean off the southern coastline of Mexico,
and east over the northern Caribbean Sea. Moderate smoke was visible over
the Yucatan Peninsula and Central America. Aerosols from a composite of
volcanic emissions and industrial sources in Mexico contributed to the
expansive area of aerosol/smoke seen in these regions today.

DUST:
A moderate amount of Saharan dust was seen moving westward into the
Atlantic Ocean, a lighter amount of Saharan dust was seen moving into
the eastern Caribbean Sea toward Puerto Rico.

Cardona

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.