Aviation « CIMSS Satellite Blog

CIMSS Turbulence Fields changed

May 27th, 2022 | Scott Lindstrom

GOES-17 Band 8 (“Low-level water vapor”) Infrared (6.19 µm) fields, 1910 UTC on 27 May 2022, along with derived Turbulence Probability for 30-33 kft, 34-37 kft, 38-41 kft (Click to enlarge)

At the request of AWC and WFO HNL, the turbulence probability fields for AWIPS have been changed (the website — here — is unaltered as of now). The turbulence probability is split into 3 layers that are each 3000 feet thick: 30000-33000 feet ; 34000-37000 feet; 38000-41000 feet. The AWIPS plugin used to display the information has also been changed, so that contours are drawn, as shown above. This will affect AWIPS performance if you are displaying the full disk imagery (because there are so many contours to draw!)

Posted in Aviation, GOES-16, GOES-17 | Comments Off on CIMSS Turbulence Fields changed

High-altitude turbulence over the Southern Plains

May 25th, 2022 | Scott Bachmeier

GOES-16 Upper-level Water Vapor (6.2 µm) images, with pilot reports of turbulence (cyan) — with and without contours of RAP40 model Maximum Wind Speed (yellow) [click to play animated GIF | MP4]

GOES-16 (GOES-East) Upper-level Water Vapor (6.2 µm) images with pilot reports of turbulence — with and without contours of RAP40 model Maximum Wind Speed (above) showed an anomalously-deep 500 hPa trough over the Southern Plains, where there was an anomalously-strong 250 hPa jet streak developing along its forward (eastern) edge. A number of pilot reports of moderate to severe turbulence were seen within the exit region of this jet streak.

In GOES-16 Upper-level Water Vapor images with and without an overlay of a Turbulence Probability product (below), higher probability values were apparent in the area near/along the axis of the 250 hPa jet streak (and the related pilot reports of turbulence).

GOES-16 Upper-level Water Vapor (6.2 µm) images, with pilot reports of turbulence (cyan) — with and without an overlay of Turbulence Probability [click to play animated GIF | MP4]

Tags: Turbulence
Posted in Aviation, GOES-16 | Comments Off on High-altitude turbulence over the Southern Plains

View and animate GOES-16 and GOES-17 Full-Disk IFR/Low IFR Probability fields in RealEarth

May 25th, 2022 | aross

GOES-16 and GOES-17 Full-Disk IFR and Low IFR Probability fields are now available in RealEarth. IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) Probability estimates the likelihood that IFR conditions are occurring. You can view and animate real-time satellite IFR probability in RealEarth.

Finding IFR and Low IFR fields in RealEarth for GOES-16 and GOES-17 full disk.

Comparing GOES-17 IFR and Low IFR for 05-25-2022 at 15:10UTC, and animating GOES-17 IFR fields in RealEarth over Hawai’i for the last 12 available GOES-17 time steps (10-minute resolution from 13:10 to 15:20UTC).

Posted in Aviation, Fog detection, GOES-16, GOES-17, RealEarth | Comments Off on View and animate GOES-16 and GOES-17 Full-Disk IFR/Low IFR Probability fields in RealEarth

Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) Probability from GOES-17

April 7th, 2022 | aross

Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) are rules and guidelines put in place by the Federal Aviation Administration that govern conditions in which “flight by outside visual reference is not safe”, whether by low clouds or fog. Cloud and reflectance data from geostationary satellites GOES-16 and GOES-17 provide a satellite IFR Probability product, by detecting fog and low stratus. More information on this product can be found here.

An example of GOES-17 IFR Probability is shown below in Southern California on April 7, 2022 at 1546UTC, displaying GOES-17 IFR Probability, IFR advisories issued by the Aviation Weather Center, and GOES-17 red band reflectance.