Tehuano wind event

By Scott Bachmeier • 24 December 2020

Topography + GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images [click to play animation | MP4]

GOES-16 (GOES-East) “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images (above) indicated that a strong arctic cold front (surface analyses) had plunged southward across Mexico, through the Chivela Pass, and emerged as a Tehuano (or “Tehuantepecer“) gap wind into the Gulf of Tehuantepec on 24 December 2020. Along the Gulf of Mexico coast, a few sites in Mexico reported blowing dust and/or blowing sand with onshore winds gusting to 40 knots.

GOES-16 True Color RGB images created using Geo2Grid (below) showed the hazy signature of blowing dust/sand as it was transported off the south coast of Mexico and spread out across the Gulf of Tehuantepec.

GOES-16 True Color RGB images [click to play animation | MP4]

===== 25 December Update =====

GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images [click to play animation | MP4]

On the following day, GOES-16 Visible images (above) showed that the leading edge of the gap wind flow — marked by a broad arc cloud — was approaching the ITCZ / Monsoon Trough in the Pacific Ocean. Ship reports of 30-35 knot winds were seen within the offshore flow — and ASCAT surface scatterometer winds revealed speeds as high as 44 knots.

GOES-16 True Color RGB images (below) showed the hazy signature of blowing dust from Mexico as it spread out across the Pacific Ocean.

GOES-16 True Color RGB images [click to play animation | MP4]

Aided by enhanced forward scattering during the morning hours, True Color RGB images from GOES-17 (GOES-West) showed the hazy signature of airborne dust from Mexico a bit better (below).

GOES-17 True Color RGB images [click to play animation | MP4]

Categories: Air quality, GOES-16, GOES-17, Red-Green-Blue (RGB) images, Satellite winds