Fog in Florida Causes Multiple Vehicle Accident
AWIPS images of MODIS and GOES “fog product” brightness temperature difference
Thick fog forming in southern portions of Osceola county in Florida was a factor in causing a multiple vehicle accident along the Florida Turnpike during the morning of 13 March 2007. AWIPS images of the MODIS and GOES fog/stratus brightness temperature difference several hours before the accident (above) shows how the 1-km resolution MODIS product had better skill at depicting the location and coverage of the fog (compared to the 4-km resolution GOES product).
AWIPS image of GOES 3.9 µm Shortwave Infrared data
Smoke from small brush fires in that area on the previous day was thought to have helped to further reduce surface visibilities along with the fog; an AWIPS image of the GOES-12 3.9 µm Shortwave Infrared channel (below) shows a “hot spot” (red enhancement) associated with a fire that was burning just west of the Florida Turnpike in central Osceola county at 21:31 UTC on 12 March. The GOES-12 3.9 µm brightness temperature at that particular hot pixel was +40ºC; however, most of the brush fires in that area were apparently too small in size to produce similar hot spots at other image times, and the CIMSS Wildfire ABBA product only indicated a few brief fire pixels in central Florida during the day on 12 March.
