Here is an experimental view from the GOES West, a NOAA satellite in geostationary orbit above the Earth, showing California blanketed in smoke, with continuing emissions from multiple large fires this morning.
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| Custom video loop from this morning, generated from the http://rammb.cira.colostate.edu/ website |
Some of this smoke is aloft, and some is at the surface. Below is a screenshot from the Airnow Fire and Smoke page (fire.airnow.gov) at 8:30 AM this morning. The gray areas on this graphic below represent plumes drawn multiple times per day by the NOAA's Hazard Mapping System, from satellite images like those above:
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| EPA/USFS Fire and Smoke Page |
Models that forecast smoke cannot yet predict exactly how fire emissions will change from day to day, so they assume today's and tomorrow's are similar to yesterday's emissions, and may miss the mark if emissions change substantially. Here is the California-wide HRRR model run (Courtesy Hanford NWS office) corresponding to the observations you see above, through noon today. Not bad, but not perfect either.
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