Pyrocumulonimbus Clouds Observed Over Utah's Widemouth 2 Fire
A significant pyrocumulonimbus (pyroCb) cloud event was observed over the Widemouth 2 fire in Utah, one of the state's largest wildfires this year. The fire, ignited by lightning on July 27, 2026, intensified on August 2 due to strong winds and dry conditions, producing multiple pyroCb bursts. These towering smoke-infused clouds were captured by NASA's Aqua satellite using the MODIS instrument, revealing cloud-top brightness temperatures below -40°C (-40°F), indicating their reach into the upper troposphere and possibly the stratosphere. The NASA INSPYRE mission, which studies pyroCbs, conducted a sampling flight on August 3, 2026, to analyze the high-altitude smoke plume from the fire. 
