This website works best with a newer web browser such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Microsoft Edge. Internet Explorer is not supported by this website.

CIMSS Satellite Blog

MENU

Thundersnow in southern Wisconsin

By Scott Bachmeier •

GOES-16 “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm) images with an overlay of GLM Flash Extent Density and plots of surface reports, from 2001-2106 UTC on 02 April [click to play animated GIF | MP4]

5-minute CONUS Sector GOES-16 (GOES-East) “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm) images that included an overlay of GLM Flash Extent Density (above) revealed 2 brief flashes of lightning activity in southern Wisconsin during the afternoon hours on 02 April 2024. Heavy thundersnow (+TSSN) was reported at Madison (station identifier KMSN) at 2047 UTC and 2053 UTC, with the thunderstorm ending at 2104 UTC. Increasing snowfall rates accompanied the onset of this thundersnow.

A cursor sample of the GOES-16 cloud-top infrared (10.3 µm) brightness temperature along with the associated Cloud Top Height and Cloud Top Phase derived products at 2041 UTC (below) showed that the Height was 27884.88 ft and the Phase was Ice (as would be expected with a 10.3 µm infrared brightness temperature of -41.57ºC).

Cursor sample of the GOES-16 “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm) cloud-top brightness temperature along with the Cloud Top Height and Cloud Top Phase derived products at 2041 UTC on 02 April [click to enlarge]

With cloud top heights less than 30000 ft, the parallax offset was fairly minimal — likely around 10 km or 6.2 miles (below).

GOES-16 parallax correction direction (green) and magnitude (km, red) for a cloud top of 30000 ft or 9.1 km [click to enlarge]

Categories: GLM, GOES-16, Lightning, Winter weather