Fog along the Gulf Coast
1-km resolution MODIS vs 4-km resolution GOES-13 fog/stratus product images
The National Weather Service forecast office in Mobile, Alabama mentoned their use of the MODIS fog/stratus product during the pre-dawn hours on 14 December 2011:
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
1140 PM CST TUE DEC 13 2011.AVIATION UPDATE (14/06Z ISSUANCE)…LOW CIG AND VSBY CONDITIONS CONTINUE. GOES IMAGER 11-3.9 AND MODIS POLAR ORBITER CONTINUE TO INDICATE A LOW STRATUS DECK WITH LOW VISIBILITY IN A LAYER WHOSE EDGE OVERLAYS A LINE FROM NEAR FOLEY TO BAY MINETTE AND ON UP TO CAMDEN. POINTS WEST OF SAID LINE ARE PRETTY WELL SOCKED IN AND PRETTY CLEAR ELSEWHERE. HAVE THEREFORE KEPT REDUCED PREVAILING GROUP TO A QUARTER MILE AND VV001 FOR BFM AND MOB.
A comparison of AWIPS images of the 1-km resolution MODIS vs the corresponding 4-km resolution GOES-13 fog/stratus product (above) demonstrated the advantage of using higher spatial resolution data to more accurately locate the eastern edge of the fog.