June 25, 2008
Smoke Intensifies in California, Spreads Across the West
As the California wildfires continue to burn, the smoke has intensified in Northern California, and has spread to portions of Nevada, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, and Colorado. The image below (left) shows the MODIS Terra True Color image from today, with visible smoke in the states listed above. The GASP AOD (right image below) is elevated over most of northern California, and also in parts of the San Joaquin Valley and Los Angeles.
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Air quality at breathing level (PM2.5, below left) as measured by ground-based monitors (EPA AIRNow) shows a reading of “Very Unhealthy” near Chico, multiple “Unhealthy” readings in northern California (plus one in the San Joaquin Valley), and several readings of “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups.” The Webcam at Yosemite National Park in northern California (below right, view from Turtleback Dome, elevation 5266 feet) taken at 2:30 PM PDT today shows highly restricted visibility.
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