MetopC IASI and MHS/AMSU data are used to create NUCAPS profiles and that thermodynamic profiles are now flowing into AWIPS, as shown in the screen capture above that shows a NOAA-20 swath extending from Greenland to Alaska at about the same time as a MetopC swath that extends from the Atlantic to Greenland. The NOAA-20 and MetopC orbits are shown below (from this site). The NOAA-20 orbit stretches from Scotland (at 1255 UTC) to the Aleutians (1315 UTC); The MetopC orbit is from the Arctic Ocean north of Scandanavia (about 1245 UTC) to the western Atlantic (around 1255 UTC).

A power of NUCAPS from multiple satellites at higher latitudes is shown below. Over western Greenland, NOAA-20 and MetopC have sampled the same atmosphere at nearly the same time. What do those two points circled in blue show (the southernmost one is from NOAA-20, the northernmost from MetopC). That is shown below.

At lower latitudes (over CONUS for example), the power of a second satellite means that earlier observations occur. MetopC orbits (here) and NOAA-20 orbits (here) over CONUS on 11 March show an east-coast pass at 1440 UTC (MetopC) and then one at 1755 UTC (NOAA-20); a central US pass at 1620 UTC (MetopC) and then one at 1935 UTC (NOAA-20); and a west coast pass at 1800 UTC (MetopC) and then one at 2120 UTC (NOAA-20). Thus, the temporal change of the atmosphere is more easily monitored.

---

Sounding availability at 1552 UTC is shown below. NUCAPS profiles over central North America are from MetopC. NUCAPS profiles over Atlantic Canada are from NOAA-20.

View only this post Read Less

CSPP Geosphere imagery (Night Microphysics RGB), above, shows baroclinic leaf over the Hawaiian islands that is suggestive of the early stages of a developing mid-latitude cyclone. Air Mass RGB over roughly the same time, below (source), is also suggestive of a developing cyclone. The orange values in the RGB to the west and south of Hawai’i can denote air that is rich in Potential Vorticity,

Imagery from the handy TropicalTidbits website, above and below at 1200 UTC on 11 March 2024, show signatures consistent with air rich in Potential Vorticity to the west of the Hawai’ian Islands.

---

How much precipitation is associated with this extensive cirrus shield? Direct Broadcast data from this site includes VIIRS imagery and MIRS RainRates, and the microwave data can show you the TPW distribution, and the Rain Rates. NOAA-20 overflew the region at 1137 UTC on 11 March. Rain was primarily over and south of the islands, where the moisture-rich atmosphere was. Microwave data gives important information about rain in regions where cirrus clouds might prevent an accurate determination of rains. Suomi-NPP overflew the region at 1227 UTC (imagery shown at bottom) and gives similar information.

View only this post Read Less

1-minute Mesoscale Domain Sector GOES-16 (GOES-East) Day Cloud Type RGB images (above) displayed narrow bands of mixed phase to glaciated (brighter shades of green to yellow) clouds that produced snow squalls as they moved eastward across western and central Pennsylvania in the wake of a cold frontal passage on 10 March 2024. Periodic lightning activity — denoted by blue GLM Flash Extent Density pixels — was seen with some of these snow squall bands. These snow squalls briefly reduced the surface visibility to 1/4 mile at some sites.

The GOES-16 Day Cloud Type RGB image at 1519 UTC — with/without an overlay of GLM FlashExtent Density — included cursor displays of the corresponding Cloud Top Phase, Cloud Top Temperature and Cloud Top Height derived products near the center of one of the cloud bands (below).

The Pittsburgh and State College NWS forecast offices issued numerous Snow Squall Warnings for these features.

View only this post Read Less

Every Spring and Fall Equinox season, a brief period of solar Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) occurs whenever the Sun passes into the beam of a GOES ground station receiving antenna (2023 NOAA ESPC Notification). This RFI can cause a temporary degradation or even a complete loss of data reception. The exact time of RFI will vary somewhat on a given day, depending on where the GOES receiving antenna is located.

During the Spring of 2024, Full Disk images showed that the time of maximum RFI signal loss was 1700 UTC on 01-05 March for GOES-16 (GOES-East) (above), and 2140 UTC on 02-05 March for GOES-18 (GOES-West) (below).

View only this post Read Less