Preliminary / non-operational GOES-18 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm), Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm) and “Clean” Infrared Window (10.35 µm) images (above) showed that the Calf Canyon Fire/Hermits Peak Fire in northern New Mexico produced another another pyrocumulonimbus (pyroCb) cloud on 14 May 2022 — following 2 previous pyroCb events on 10 May and 01 May. This particular pyroCb first exhibited cloud-top infrared brightness temperature (IR BT) values of -40C and colder (shades of blue in the bottom panel) at 2211 UTC, and later attained IR BTs in the -50s C (shades of red in the bottom panel).

A comparison of Suomi-NPP VIIRS True Color RGB, False Color RGB, Infrared Window and Shortwave Infrared images valid at 2032 UTC is shown below. These VIIRS images were acquired and processed using the Direct Broadcast ground station at SSEC/CIMSS.

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A narrow ribbon of Slight RIsk was forecast for parts of the midwest on 13 Friday 2022, as shown below, and a few severe weather events occurred (SPC Storm Reports); they were well forecast. How did the Polar Hyperspectral Sounding forecast system perform on this day? The toggle above shows a 7-h forecast of CAPE (initialized at 1600 UTC and valid at 2300 UTC). It’s noteworthy that the forecast also shows a narrow corridor of instability. A similar toggle, but starting with the 0-h initial field of PHSnABI derived CAPE from the model at 2200 UTC, is here.

The toggle below shows the 7-h forecast compared to the GOES-16 ABI Derived CAPE. A similar toggle, here, compares the 1-h forecast (initialized at 2200 UTC, valid at 2300 UTC) with the 2300 UTC Derived CAPE observed from GOES. The 7-h forecast below might be too far to the east; however, the developing convection associated with ribbon of instability is removed from the leading edge of the CAPE.

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Precipitation forecasts from this event (available at this website) are shown below, starting with two forecasts valid at 2300 UTC: a 3-h forecast from 2000 UTC and a 1-h forecast from 2200 UTC. They both show strongest convection over western IL, as observed. The 2000 UTC forecast also shows the break in convection over southern WI, also as observed.

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The PHSnABI modeling system accurately showed the corridor of instability over the Great Lakes, and convection did develop with this instability as observed. (Note: forecasts initialized before 1700 UTC did not produce precipitation; observations from the afternoon overpasses of NOAA-20 and Suomi-NPP perhaps supplied the necessary information leading to a better prediction of precipitation). Radar imagery over WI at 0054 UTC on 14 May 2022 is shown below. The initial (very narrow) line of convection did produce precipitation over Madison, but precipitation moved over Madison from the south after 0100 UTC.

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NOAA and NASA recently released the first ABI (Advanced Baseline Imager) imagery from GOES-18. GOES-T was launched on March 1, 2022. (see the GOES-T launch as GOES-16 and GOES-17 monitored the rocket signature). GOES-18 is the third (of four) in the GOES-R series and is currently located above the equator at approximately 90W. GOES-18 is slated to become NOAA’s operational GOES-West in early 2023 after going through extensive post-launch testing. Also, see this CIMSS Satellite Blog post or this Satellite Liaison Blog post.

GOES-18 Compared to other GOES

While it is still very early in the post-launch test period, good qualitative agreement has been shown to other GOES imagers, except when comparing to GOES-17 during times it is affected by the Loop Heat Pipe issue. Of course, due to parallax and other reasons, there are expected to be differences, especially at larger view angles. The above loop as a mp4 and animated gif. Or versions that toggle between GOES-18 and GOES-16 only (mp4 and animated gif).

GOES-18 images of the western United States collected by the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) on May 6, 2022. The GOES-18 ABI band 10 (7.3 micrometers) image is on the left, while the GOES-16 image is on the right. Note that the data are in the same projection. Warmer brightness temperatures are mapped to warmer colors. Time animations (from 12 to 22 UTC) of these 2 panels are available for each band: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 (mp4).

GOES-18 image of the United States collected by the ABI on May 6, 2022. The GOES-18 ABI band 10 (7.3 micrometers) image is on the right, while the GOES-17 image is on the left. This 2-panel “water vapor” image shows overall agreement, with less noise shown on GOES-18 compared with GOES-17. These GOES-18 ABI are early images, calibration improvements are possible. Time animations (from 12 to 22 UTC) of these 2 panels are available for each band: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 (mp4).

3-panel Comparisons (GOES-17, -18, -16)

These 3.9 mircometer band comparisons are thanks to Scott Bachmeier. Direct links for the CA and NM cases of a CIMSS Satellite Blog.

Comparison of @NOAASatellites 1-minute #GOES17 (#GOESwest) with 5-minute #GOES18 (preliminary, non-operational) and #GOES16 (#GOESeast) Shortwave Infrared images showed the thermal signature of the #CoastalFire in Southern California: https://t.co/wGsujUVpnT @NWSSanDiego
#CAwx pic.twitter.com/1482cyQhfl

— UW-Madison CIMSS (@UWCIMSS) May 13, 2022

Comparison of 1-minute Mesoscale Sector @NOAASatellites #GOES17 (#GOESwest), #GOES18 (preliminary, non-operational) and #GOES16 (#GOESeast) Shortwave Infrared images showed the thermal signature of the #CalfCanyonFire in #NMwx on 11 May: https://t.co/97oiyZMw1N @NWSAlbuquerque pic.twitter.com/KeFZl7G6uO

— UW-Madison CIMSS (@UWCIMSS) May 12, 2022

ABI Instrument Response Functions

The ABI has 16 spectral bands, 2 in the visible, 4 in the near-infrared (or “near-visible”) and 10 in the infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The instrument response functions can be found both on CIMSS and Calibration Working Group sites.

H/T

Thanks to the many (thousands) who made the GOES-18 ABI possible. These are GOES-18 ABI are early images (preliminary and non-operational, future calibration improvements are possible. geo2grid and McIDAS-X software was used in generating these images. More about GOES-16 and GOES-17.

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Storm Reports from SPC for 12 May 2022, (also shown below), show an extraordinary number of severe wind reports over eastern South Dakota and western Minnesota. Visible imagery from the CSPP Geosphere site, above, shows the convective system responsible for the widespread winds lifting northeastward out of Nebraska and moving over the Missouri River Valley.

The animation below shows Clean Window infrared imagery (10.3 µm) overlain on top of Clear-sky only GOES-16 Derived Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE). CAPE values increase into the mid-2000s (J/Kg) as the convection lifts toward the South Dakota/Minnesota border: abundant instability is present.

NOAA-20 overflew this area just after 1800 UTC, and the NUCAPS profiles derived from CrIS and ATMS on board that satellite tell a similar story of instability. Gridded fields of the 850-500 mb Lapse Rate, of Total Precipitable Water (TPW) and of the Total Totals Index, below, show a corridor of instability and moisture over extreme southeast South Dakota. Lapse rates are between 8 and 9^o C/km, TPW values are near 1.5″, and Total Total Index values exceed 55! Convection moving towards this region and along this axis of instability would not be inhibited by the environment. NUCAPS Sounding Availability points shown in the image below are mostly green: the infrared retrievals converged to a solution.

What do the individual NUCAPS Profiles look like? Two lines of profiles over eastern Nebraska are shown below. Sounding readout values from NSharp in AWIPS show large MUCAPS values, and a very well-mixed atmosphere.

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AWIPS imagery in this post was created using the NOAA/TOWR-S AWIPS Cloud Instance.

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1-minute Mesoscale Domain Sector GOES-18 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images with time-matched plots of SPC Storm Reports (above) showed the northeastward propagation of the derecho — along with a second Mesoscale Convective System in its wake — as it produced wind gusts as high as 107 mph in South Dakota (at 2125 UTC), hail as large as 2.50 inches in diameter in Nebraska (at 0007 UTC) and several tornadoes. Note that this early GOES-18 imagery is preliminary and non-operational.

The corresponding 1-minute GOES-18 “Clean” Infrared Window (10.35 µm) images (below) extend a bit past sunset — and revealed pulsing overshooting tops as cold as -70 to -75ºC (white pixels embedded within areas of black).

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