DESCRIPTIVE TEXT NARRATIVE FOR SMOKE/DUST OBSERVED IN SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0000Z October 1, 2025
SMOKE: Northwest Territories/Central Canada/Southeastern CONUS… Scattered wildfire activity continues to be analyzed across the southern Northwest Territories, northern Alberta, and west-central Saskatchewan. Considerable cloudiness was present across nearly the entirety of Alberta, northern and far western Saskatchewan, and far southeastern Northwest Territories. As such, the smoke in those areas is inferred from any small breaks and smoke more clearly observed outside the cloud canopy. Also as a result of the cloud cover, Smoke analysis from a majority of the wildfires is very difficult due to the cloud cover, with only the wildfire in south-central Northwest Territories not obscured by cloud cover. Outside of the thick cloud cover, mainly light smoke is seen moving with the clouds south of the clouds over northern Manitoba. Remnant smoke is also observed across central North America, extending from Texas to Manitoba and Saskatchewan. This area of smoke is merging with the smoke layer from the wildfires across northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The source of this light smoke layer is likely scattered to widespread agricultural burning across the southern Prairie Provinces, the southern Plains, Mississippi Valley, and southeastern CONUS. The active smoke plumes from today’s burning were observed moving southwestward across the Mississippi Valley and Southeast CONUS today, while smoke across the Plains was moving North. Washington State/British Columbia… Wildfires continue to burn across central Washington State. The light to moderate smoke produced from these wildfires was seen moving northeastward then northward. Due to cloud cover in the area, determining full extent and smoke density is hampered. This also lends to uncertainty as to whether or not the smoke is currently connected to the larger area of smoke described above. Breaks in the clouds near the BC/AB border hint at a lack of smoke making it much into Alberta. Southern California/Pacific… Light to perhaps moderate remnant smoke was observed again this afternoon across the coast of southern California extending south and southwestward to the northern periphery of the remnants of Narda in the Pacific. This is likely the result of remnant smoke from fires in the Pacific Northwest, mainly a wildfire in extreme southwestern Oregon. BLOWING DUST: Central Arizona… Some light blowing dust was observed moving northeastward over the Phoenix Metro Area this afternoon. 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:http://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