posted 07-06-2002 03:07 PM            

Otherwise, it's a pretty warm and sunny day here.

posted 07-06-2002 03:49 PM            

The sky is becoming more of a general hazy white and the temperature has dropped somewhat. A small eastern breeze has begun.

posted 07-07-2002 12:58 AM            

Krissa's right about the activity here. We got chemmed real heavily Friday and there were trails that looked about the same as the one in the picture and the chem-jets were making trails the whole day.

Saturday, I didn't see any chem-jets but the haze was so thick by 5:00 pm that the sun was so dim looking that I could look directly at it without hurting my eyes. It was really weird looking, like a little reddish orange dimly illuminated ball.

posted 07-07-2002 12:51 PM            

A look here will explain a great deal>>>> http://nimbo.wrh.noaa.gov/satellite/1km/Sacramento/VIS1SAC.GIF

posted 07-07-2002 01:03 PM            

That's quite a story about those planes. Thanks for sharing.

Is Clear Lake the lake of which you are speaking?

posted 07-07-2002 01:26 PM            

A few days ago, I just happened to be in the right place at the right time to see a silver chem-jet spraying. This was unusual to me since, up until then, I had only seen the usual white chem-jets.

Today, we have a ground level have here and our eyes are burning and our noses are running. At first, I thought I was seeing things, but I soon got confirmation that the haze is at ground level. It's sort of a smoky powdery haze and probably not good for us to be breathing.

posted 07-07-2002 03:13 PM            

Dan, I've been noticing the silver jets here too vs. the standard white. Yesterday, I saw a silver jet that had a rectangular black stripe painted the length of the bottom of the fuselage. It was moving fast and I did not hear any engine sound. That may be because of the altitude or maybe they are muffling the engines well.

posted 07-07-2002 06:48 PM            

That haze was brutal here too today. For a minute I thought someone sprayed some mace somewhere. My eyes were watering in less than 30 minutes after I went outside. I heard a rumor that they were trying to blame it on fires burning in Canada or something like that but I didn't smell anything burning and I haven't seen anything on any of the news wires either.

posted 07-08-2002 01:06 AM            

Quebec forest fires blanket eastern United States with smoke
Sun Jul 7, 8:08 PM ET By MICHAEL KOVRIG, Associated Press Writer

MONTREAL - Firefighters battled dozens of raging forest fires in Quebec as smoke and haze from the blazes blanketed the northeastern United States and stretched as far south as Washington, D.C.

At least 85 fires — 10 of them out of control — were burning Sunday, the Quebec forest fire protection service said. They have destroyed more than 250,000 acres (100,000 hectares) of forest.

With no rain expected before Thursday, the fires will likely grow, the service's spokesman Eric Santerre said.

Lightning and dry conditions sparked the fires that have been burning since July 2 in two separate regions southeast of James Bay between 200 and 400 miles (320 and 640 kilometers) north of the U.S. border.
More than 500 firefighters — some in planes dropping water — worked to control 45 fires in a region above Lake St. Jean about 150 miles (240 kilometers) north of Quebec City, Santerre said.

"For part of them we are doing nothing for now because they are too big," he said. "These are really big fires. We are using firebreaks, sprinklers, hoses and motorized pumps."

In the Nemiscau region south of James Bay, about 40 fires were burning. Some 75 firefighters dug firebreaks and poured water on the flames, but dense smoke prevented use of aircraft to drop water.
The fires in Nemiscau have led to the evacuation of two Cree Indian villages, Nemaska and Chisasibi.

Rising to 10,000 feet (3,000 meters), the plume of smoke blanketed Montreal and reached New York City.

Propelled by strong winds from the north, the fires have created a plume of smoke and haze stretching from Michigan to Massachusetts visible as far south as Washington, D.C., U.S. meteorologists said Sunday.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental protection advised residents of 20 counties, especially those with respiratory conditions, to stay indoors until Monday afternoon.

Wally said the plume probably will shift north and east by Monday morning, moving off the New England coast.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20020708/ap_wo_en_po/canada_forest_fires_7&printer=1

------------------------------------------------------------------
Quebec Fires Prompts Alerts in U.S.

By Michael Kovrig
Associated Press Writer

Sunday, July 7, 2002; 9:45 PM MONTREAL –– Firefighters battled dozens of raging forest fires in Quebec on Sunday, as smoke and haze from the blazes blanketed the northeastern United States and stretched as far south as Washington, D.C.

New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania advised residents with respiratory and heart conditions to stay indoors. The New York and New Jersey alerts were statewide.
Pennsylvania's covered 20 counties.

At least 85 fires – 10 of them out of control – were burning Sunday, the Quebec forest fire protection service said. They have destroyed more than 250,000 acres of forest.With no rain expected before Thursday, the fires will likely grow, the service spokesman Eric Santerre said.

Lightning and dry conditions sparked the fires that have been burning since July 2 in two separate regions southeast of James Bay between 200 and 400 miles north of the U.S. border.More than 500 firefighters – some in planes dropping water – worked to control 45 fires in a region above Lake St. Jean about 150 miles north of Quebec City, Santerre said.

"For part of them we are doing nothing for now because they are too big," he said. "These are really big fires. We are using firebreaks, sprinklers, hoses and motorized pumps."

In the Nemiscau region south of James Bay, about 40 fires were burning. Some 75 firefighters dug firebreaks and poured water on the flames, but dense smoke prevented use of aircraft to drop water.

The fires in Nemiscau have led to the evacuation of 630 inhabitants in two Cree Indian villages, Nemaska and Chisasibi.

Propelled by strong winds from the north, the fires have created a plume of smoke and haze stretching from Michigan to Massachusetts visible as far south as Washington, D.C., U.S. meteorologists said Sunday.

Downtown Baltimore experienced haze and a smoky smell Sunday, said meteorologist Dewey Walston of the Sterling, Va., office.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection advised residents of 20 counties, especially those with respiratory conditions, to stay indoors until Monday afternoon.

The New York Health Department urged those with respiratory conditions to stay indoors and turn on their air conditioners to reduce exposure to the smoke.

"It's quite evident something is in the air," department spokeswoman Kristine Smith said.

The plume of smoke, which blanketed Montreal, also affected air travel in New York.

"All of our major airports are reporting smoke and haze and visibility restrictions of two miles," said David Wally of the National Weather Service in New York City.

Wally said the plume probably will shift north and east by Monday morning, moving off the New England coast.

posted 07-08-2002 11:47 AM            

I couldn't tell if the silver jet was larger or lower either FLKook. All I knew was that I was watching a silver metallic jet spraying.

posted 07-08-2002 06:12 PM            

It's been like this all day - a swirling MESS up there - complete with active H-to-H trailing [still underway as I write] and full-spectrum iridescence scattered all about.

Blinding bright sun. Heat and humidity returning.

posted 07-09-2002 12:48 PM            

The constant spraying off of the coast and inland is producing this perpetual haze. From ground level it appears as a blue/gray and when viewed against a green backdrop,like forest trees, it can be seen moving like smoke, which it is not.
I regularly go to the mountains near here and watch this phenom moving across the face of the mountains and down the valleys. I am sure that comparison sat shots of a year or two back will confirm that this is a condition that is increasing by the day.

posted 07-09-2002 01:11 PM            

The sky is filled with chem-clouds and a grayish-white chem-haze today with a visible ground level haze. The temperature is 95 degrees with 46% humidity. "t'aint normal, no siree".