Tehuano wind event

By Scott Bachmeier • 17 January 2024

True Color RGB images from GOES-18 (left) and GOES-16 (right), from 1310-2330 UTC on 16 January and 17 January [click to play animated GIF | MP4]

GOES-18 (GOES-West) and GOES-16 (GOES-East) True Color RGB images from the CSPP GeoSphere site (above) showed hazy arcs of blowing dust lofted by Tehuano gap winds that emerged from the south coast of Mexico — which spread out across the Gulf of Tehuantepec and the adjacent waters of the Pacific Ocean on 16-17 January 2024.

GOES-16 Visible images on 16 January (below) included surface plots, Metop ASCAT winds and surface analyses. The development of Gale Force winds was being forecast for the Gulf of Tehuantepec, as northerly winds behind an approaching arctic cold front accelerated through the Chivelas Pass (topography) before exiting the southern coast of Mexico near Ixtepec (MMIT).

GOES-16 Visible images on 16 January, with plots of surface reports (cyan), Metop ASCAT winds (green) and surface analyses (beige) [click to play animated GIF | MP4]

As the strong arctic cold front moved inland across the northern coast of Mexico, a notable drop in temperature and dew point was seen at Veracruz (MMVR) and Minatitlan (MMMT), with northerly winds gusting to 45 knots at Veracruz (below).

Plot of surface report data from Veracruz [click to enlarge]

Plot of surface report data from Minatitlan [click to enlarge]

Surface winds derived from Metop-B/Metop-C ASCAT and GCOM-W1 AMSR2 (source) showed the intensification of Tehuano gap wind flow (below) — the presence of Gale Force winds (34-47 knots) in the Gulf of Tehuantepec was confirmed by both ASCAT and AMSR2.