Actinoform clouds near Bermuda
GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) and Day Cloud Phase Distinction RGB images [click to play animated GIF |MP4]
GOES-16 (GOES-East) “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) and Day Cloud Phase Distinction RGB images (above) displayed actinoform clouds (reference) near Bermuda on 05 February 2022. The light shades of green exhibited by the narrow cloud bands within the actinoform features suggested that they were beginning to glaciate — and as one of those cloud bands (associated with a dissipating actinoform feature) moved across the island of Bermuda, it briefly produced light rain showers at the airport (TXKF). It should be noted that this is an unusual location to see actinform clouds; most examples tend to form over the Pacific Ocean.
A toggle between GOES-16 Visible and RGB images at 1401 UTC is shown below.
GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) and Day Cloud Phase Distinction RGB images at 1401 UTC [click to enlarge]
Another example of actinoform clouds producing precipitation — over the Pacific Ocean, near Hawai`i — can be seen here.
Thanks to Margaret Mooney (CIMSS) for bringing these features in the Atlantic to our attention: