14 July 2000 | GOES-11 10.7-12.0 Micrometer IR Difference Product
Pine Lake, Alberta Tornado

Java applet developed by Tom Whittaker, CIMSS / SSEC

This loop of GOES-11 10.7-12.0 micrometer IR difference product shows evidence of a west-east oriented region of higher boundary layer moisture, along a Red Deer (CYQF) to Coronation (CWCT) line during the hours leading up to the development of the supercell that produced the Pine Lake tornado. This IR difference product highlights regions where the GOES-11 12.0 micrometer brightness temperatures are 5-6 K cooler (yellow enhancement) than the corresponding GOES-11 10.7 micrometer brightness temperatures, due to attenuation by moisture pooled within the boundary layer. The Pine Lake supercell began to move to the right of the environmental (southwesterly) flow, taking a more east-northeasterly path. The storms motion toward this region of increased boundary layer moisture may have played a role in the further intensification of the supercell prior to its producing large hail and the tornado. The tornado at Pine Lake (southeast of Red Deer, station identifier CYQF) occured between 23:45 and 01:00 UTC on 15 July (6:45 and 7:15 PM MDT on 14 July).

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