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Mountain wave turbulence across eastern Colorado

By Scott Bachmeier •

1-minute GOES-19 Water Vapor images (6.9 µm, left) and Visible images (0.64 µm, right) with plots of Pilot Reports of turbulence, from 1811-2310 UTC on 05 January [click to play MP4 animation]

1-minute Mesoscale Domain Sector GOES-19 (GOES-East) Water Vapor and Visible images (above) included plots of Pilot Reports (PIREPs) of Moderate to occasionally Severe turbulence — several of which were in the vicinity of mountain waves over parts of eastern Colorado on 05 January 2026. It was notable that in the area where mountain waves were very apparent in Water Vapor images (immediately downwind of the high terrain of the Rocky Mountains), there were no clouds seen in the corresponding Visible images.

Cursor samples of 2 PIREPs of Moderate to Severe turbulence are shown below. In the immediate vicinity of the earlier 1939 UTC PIREP, the distinct signature of mountain waves — adjacent bands of warm/dry subsiding air (shades of yellow) and cool/moist rising air (shades of blue) — was evident in the Water Vapor image.

GOES-19 Water Vapor image (6.9 µm, left) and Visible image (0.64 µm, right) at 1939 UTC on 05 January, with a cursor sample of a PIREP of Moderate to Severe turbulence between the altitudes of 12500-13500 ft [click to enlarge]

GOES-19 Water Vapor image (6.9 µm, left) and Visible image (0.64 µm, right) at 2310 UTC on 05 January, with a cursor sample of a PIREP of Moderate to Severe turbulence at an altitude of 11000 ft [click to enlarge]

Categories: Aviation, GOES-19