Gravity wave over Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan
GOES-13 visible images
Blog reader Michael Lawson wrote:
Hi, I am a meteorologist working with Meridian Environmental Technology in Grand Forks, ND. A co-worker noticed a gravity wave feature in the visible over northern Indiana/northwest Ohio during the afternoon of September 15, 2008. Clouds moving into the feature would dissipate then reform once they propagated through the other side. Thought it would make an interesting topic!
Thanks for the tip, Michael. GOES-13 visible imagery (above) did indeed show the wave as it propagated northwestward (against the ambient flow) across northern Indiana/Ohio into southern Lower Michigan on 15 September 2008.
The dissipation of the stratocumulus cloud field with the passage of the wave might be explained by examining the rawinsonde data from Wilmington, Ohio (below) — note the presence of very dry air aloft, which could have been briefly mixed downward as the wave moved through (similar to what was seen with an apparent hydraulic jump over lower Michigan and southern Ontario on 08 May 2008).
Wilmington OH rawinsonde data