GOES-16 (GOES-East) “Clean” Infrared Window (10.35 µm) images (above) showed the development of multiple clusters of thunderstorms that were responsible for producing heavy rainfall and flash flooding across parts of eastern Kentucky during the nighttime hours leading up to sunrise on 28 July 2022. The coldest GOES-16 cloud-top infrared brightness temperature associated with these thunderstorms was -82.7ºC at 0431 UTC (within the small cluster of violet pixels over Jackson, Kentucky KJKL).

In a toggle between NOAA-20 VIIRS Infrared Window (11.45 µm) images valid at 0634 UTC and 0814 UTC (below) the coldest cloud-top infrared brightness temperature was -83ºC (just northeast of Hazard, Kentucky at 0814 UTC). These NOAA-20 images were downloaded and processed using the SSEC/CIMSS Direct Broadcast ground station, before being displayed n AWIPS.

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GOES-16 (GOES-East) “Clean” Infrared Window (10.35 µm) images (above) showed the development of an elongated band of training thunderstorms that was responsible for producing record rainfall and flash flooding in the St. Louis, Missouri area during the nighttime hours leading up to sunrise on 26 July 2022. The coldest GOES-16 cloud-top infrared brightness temperatures were around -75ºC.

A Suomi-NPP VIIRS Infrared Window (11.45 µm) image valid at 0802 UTC (below) displayed the large Mesoscale Convective System as it was just beginning to move away from the St. Louis (KSTL) area. The coldest cloud-top infrared brightness temperature in the VIIRS image was -83ºC (within the interior shades of violet). These thunderstorms developed as a southwesterly low-level jet began to increase isentropic upglide across and north of a stationary front that was located just south of the deep convection (surface analyses | WPC Mesoscale Precipitation Discussion).

A historic morning in the St. Louis area. Our hearts are with all of those affected from this catastrophic flooding. Here are some facts that put this rainfall into historical perspective. #mowx #stlwx pic.twitter.com/jUtOGl8ioq

— NWS St. Louis (@NWSStLouis) July 26, 2022

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GOES-18 images shown in this blog post are preliminary and non-operational

GOES-17 (GOES-West) True Color RGB images created using Geo2Grid (above) showed the Oak Fire smoke plume as it spread northwestward across California on 24 July 2022. The Oak Fire has become the largest wildfire of California’s 2022 season.

Overlapping 1-minute GOES-18 Mesoscale Domain Sectors provided 30-second imagery — “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images are shown below.

1-minute Mesoscale Domain Sector GOES-17 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm), Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm), Fire Power and Fire Temperature images (below) showed the thermal characteristics of the Oak Fire during the day. The Fire Temperature and Fire Power derived products are components of the GOES Fire Detection and Characterization Algorithm FDCA.

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1-minute Mesosca’le Domain Sector GOES-16 (GOES-East) “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images (above) include plots of time-matched SPC Storm Reports — and showed a Mesoscale Convective System that moved east-southeastward across parts of South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin on 23 July 2022.

GOES-16 “Clean” Infrared Window (10.35 µm) images (below) indicated that the coldest overshooting tops exhibited infrared brightness temperatures around -70 to -75ºC (white pixels within darker black enhancement).

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