1-minute Mesoscale Domain Sector GOES-18 (GOES-West) “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm) images (above) showed Hurricane Otis as it approached the coast of Mexico, making landfall near Acapulco (Acapulco International Airport, METAR identifier MMAA, is located about 16 miles southeast of the city center) around 0625 UTC on 25 October 2023. During the 11-hour time period shown,... Read More

The Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) has been flying on the International Space Station since 2017 to extend LIS observations that began with the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM). This provides for nearly global observations optical detection of lightning. On 11 October and 12 October, two passes of the LIS, shown below, observed Typhoon Bolaven: the ascending pass from 2124 to 2134 UTC on... Read More

5-minute GOES-16 (GOES-East) Day Cloud Phase Distinction RGB images with overlays of GLM Flash Extent Density, LightningCast Probability and Buoy/METAR reports (above) showed glaciating (brighter shades of green) and glaciated (pale shades of yellow) cloud bands streaming eastward and southeastward off Lake Ontario and Lake Erie on 08 October 2023. Some of these cloud bands were producing lake effect... Read More

Seasonably cool Fall-like temperatures overspread the western Great Lakes and northern Plains on 5 October. The animation above shows the Day Cloud Phase Distinction overlain with LightningCast probability from 1321-1721 UTC on 5 October (that is, 8:21-12:21 CDT). SPC on this day was anticipating general thunder over northern Minnesota. Given that,... Read More