The 10.7 micrometer infrared window channel on GOES-13 and GOES-15 helps monitor the state of the atmosphere and surface. The animations below, from GOES-13 (top) and GOES-15 (bottom), similar to the GOES Water Vapor Animations, show active tropical convection over the Pacific, relatively fewer tropical systems over the Atlantic, an... Read More
Visible Imagery over the Gulf of Mexico on 28 December 2015 revealed the presence of a Rope Cloud. Rope Clouds are handy features in satellite imagery because they reveal the location of the surface cold front, and the animation above shows wind shifts from southerly to westerly as the Rope... Read More
As shown above, a widespread outbreak of severe weather occurred on 23 December – 24 December 2015 (surface analysis maps), centered on the Mississippi Valley and Ohio Valley regions of the US. There were at least 14 fatalities in Mississippi, Tennessee, and Arkansas — and storm damage surveys (NWS Memphis PNS) showed that there... Read More
The 2015 December solstice — Winter in the Northern Hemisphere, and Summer in the Southern Hemisphere — occurred at 0448 UTC on 22nd day of the month. Several hours prior to the solstice, the daylight/darkness “terminator” (tilted at 23.5º due to the inclination of the Earth’s axis) could be seen... Read More
