![](\"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/images\/2025\/06\/250530_goes19_trueColorRGB_aerosolOpticalDepth_Upper_Midwest_smoke_anim.GIF\")
<\/a>Sequence of GOES-19 True Color RGB images and Aerosol Optical Depth derived product on 30 May [click to play animated GIF]<\/p><\/div>With numerous wildfires burning across the boreal forest regions of Alberta\/Saskatchewan\/Manitoba during late May 2025, dense smoke began to move southward across much of the north-central US beginning on 30 May<\/strong><\/a>. GOES-19 (GOES-East)<\/em> True Color RGB images along with the Aerosol Optical Depth<\/strong><\/a> (AOD) derived product from the CSPP GeoSphere<\/strong><\/a> site (above)<\/strong><\/em> showed the areal coverage and transport of this wildfire smoke on 30 May.<\/p>\n For the most part, the majority of this smoke remained aloft — and only reduced the surface visibility (the number at the bottom of each Ceiling\/Visibility plot, in statute miles) at a handful of sites across northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and eastern Iowa (below)<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n Sequence of GOES-19 Visible images and Aerosol Optical Depth derived product on 30 May, with Ceiling\/Visibility observations plotted in cyan [click to play MP4 animation]<\/p><\/div>A Pilot Report over far northern Minnesota (below)<\/strong><\/em> indicated that smoke was reducing the visibility to 5 miles at an altitude of 5500 feet.<\/p>\n GOES-19 Visible image at 2011 UTC on 30 May, with cursor sampling of a Pilot Report over Minnesota [click to enlarge]<\/p><\/div>\n =========<\/strong><\/p>\n On 31 May<\/strong><\/a>, GOES-19 True Color RGB and AOD imagery (below)<\/strong><\/em> revealed that some of the smoke was becoming entrained into the circulation of a compact area of mid-tropospheric low pressure that was moving southward from the Dakotas to Nebraska.<\/p>\n Sequence of GOES-19 True Color RGB images and Aerosol Optical Depth derived product on 31 May [click to play animated GIF]<\/p><\/div>Smoke became particularly dense just north of this low, as it descended into the boundary layer — and the surface visibility was reduced to 1-2 miles at several sites across North and South Dakota (below)<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n Sequence of GOES-19 Visible images and Aerosol Optical Depth derived product on 31 May, with Ceiling\/Visibility observations plotted in cyan [click to play MP4 animation]<\/p><\/div>The depth of the smoke layer was notable — while the surface visibility was 2-1\/2 miles at Watertown SD (KATY), a Pilot Report over that location indicated that haze was reducing the visibility to 5 miles at an altitude of 12,000 feet (below)<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n GOES-19 Visible image at 1826 UTC on 31 May, with cursor sampling of the surface report and a Pilot Report over Watertown SD [click to enlarge]<\/p><\/div>\n =========<\/strong><\/p>\n Dense wildfire smoke persisted across much of the region on 01 June<\/strong><\/a>, as shown by GOES-19 True Color RGB and AOD imagery (below)<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n Sequence of GOES-19 True Color RGB images and Aerosol Optical Depth derived product on 01 June [click to play animated GIF]<\/p><\/div>The surface visibility restrictions were generally confined to the eastern Dakotas\/Nebraska and western Minnesota\/Iowa (below)<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>