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Super Typhoon Lekima in the West Pacific Ocean

By Scott Bachmeier •

JMA 2.5-minute rapid scan Himawari-8 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) and “Clean” Infrared Window (10.4 µm) images (above) showed the eye and eyewall region of Category 4 Super Typhoon Lekima on 07-08 August 2019. Features of interest included surface mesovortices within the eye, eyewall cloud-top gravity waves, and a quasi-stationary “cloud... Read More

Himawari-8

Himawari-8 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm, left) and “Clean” Infrared Window (10.4 µm, right) images [click to play animation | MP4]

JMA 2.5-minute rapid scan Himawari-8 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) and “Clean” Infrared Window (10.4 µm) images (above) showed the eye and eyewall region of Category 4 Super Typhoon Lekima on 07-08 August 2019. Features of interest included surface mesovortices within the eye, eyewall cloud-top gravity waves, and a quasi-stationary “cloud cliff” notch extending northwestward from the eye (infrared brightness temperature contours). This cloud cliff feature has been observed with other intense tropical cyclones (for example, Typhoon Neoguri in 2014).

VIIRS True Color Red-Green-Blue (RGB) and Infrared Window (11.45 µm) images from Suomi NPP and NOAA-20 as viewed using RealEarth are shown below.

VIIRS True Color RGB and Infrared Window (11.45 µm) images from Suomi NPP and NOAA-20 [click to enlarge]

VIIRS True Color RGB and Infrared Window (11.45 µm) images from Suomi NPP and NOAA-20 [click to enlarge]

The trochoidal motion (or wobble) of the eye of Lekima became very pronounced as it crossed the Ryukyu Islands, as seen in an animation of 2.5-minute rapid scan Himawari-8  Infrared images (below). The center of the tropical cyclone moved between Miyakojima (ROMY) and Ishigakijima (ROIG), which reported wind gusts to 67 knots and 64 knots respectively.

Himawari-8 Infrared (10.4 µm) images [click to play animation| MP4]

Himawari-8 “Clean” Infrared Window (10.4 µm) images [click to play animation | MP4]

Himawari-8 Infrared images with contours and streamlines of deep-layer wind shear at 15 UTC from the CIMSS Tropical Cyclones site (below) indicated that Lekima was moving through an environment of very low shear, which was a factor aiding its intensification.

Himawari-8 "Clean" Infrared Window (10.4 µm) images, with contours and streamlines of deep-layer wind shear at 15 UTC [click to play animation]

Himawari-8 “Clean” Infrared Window (10.4 µm) images, with contours and streamlines of deep-layer wind shear at 15 UTC [click to play animation]

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Tropical Depression Flossie near Hawai’i

By Scott Bachmeier •

An animation that cycles through GOES-17 (GOES-West) “Red” Visible (0.64 µm), “Clean” Infrared Window (10.35 µm) and Upper-level Water Vapor (6.2 µm) images (above) showed Tropical Depression Flossie just northeast of Hawai’i on 05 August 2019. Note that (1) the exposed low-level circulation center (LLCC) was very apparent in the visible imagery, (2)... Read More

GOES-17

GOES-17 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm), “Clean” Infrared Window (10.35 µm) and Upper-level Water Vapor (6.2 µm) images [click to play animation | MP4]

An animation that cycles through GOES-17 (GOES-West) “Red” Visible (0.64 µm), “Clean” Infrared Window (10.35 µm) and Upper-level Water Vapor (6.2 µm) images (above) showed Tropical Depression Flossie just northeast of Hawai’i on 05 August 2019. Note that (1) the exposed low-level circulation center (LLCC) was very apparent in the visible imagery, (2) deep convection offset to the east/northeast of the LLCC exhibited cloud-top infrared brightness temperatures as cold as -83ºC , and (3) a series of gravity waves were propagating westward away from the convection, moving toward Hawai’i.

GOES-15 Infrared imagery and deep-layer wind shear data from the CIMSS Tropical Cyclones site (below) showed that the tropical cyclone was in an environment of strong shear, which was responsible for the displacement between the exposed LLCC and the convection. In addition to the wind shear, the weakening trend of the system was also due to its motion over cold Sea Surface Temperatures and low Ocean Heat Content.

GOES-15 Infrared Window (10.7 µm) images, with contours and streamlines of deep-layer wind shear [click to enlarge]

GOES-15 Infrared Window (10.7 µm) images, with contours and streamlines of deep-layer wind shear at 18 UTC [click to enlarge]

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Severe thunderstorms in the Dakotas, as viewed by 4 GOES

By Scott Bachmeier •

 With GOES-14 undergoing its annual INR testing and evaluation, it afforded the ability to monitor features such as severe thunderstorms in the western Dakotas from 4 GOES — GOES-17 (GOES-West) at 137.2ºW, GOES-15 at 128ºW, GOES-14 at 105ºW and GOES-16 (GOES-East) at 75.2ºW longitude (above). These storms produced hail as large as 2.0 inches... Read More

 

Visible images from GOES-17, GOES-15, GOES-14 and GOES-16, with SPC Storm Reports plotted in red [click to play animation | MP4]

Visible images from GOES-17, GOES-15, GOES-14 and GOES-16, with SPC Storm Reports plotted in red [click to play animation | MP4]

With GOES-14 undergoing its annual INR testing and evaluation, it afforded the ability to monitor features such as severe thunderstorms in the western Dakotas from 4 GOES — GOES-17 (GOES-West) at 137.2ºW, GOES-15 at 128ºW, GOES-14 at 105ºW and GOES-16 (GOES-East) at 75.2ºW longitude (above). These storms produced hail as large as 2.0 inches in diameter and damaging winds to 75 mph (SPC Storm Reports). The images are displayed in the native projection of each satellite.

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Record 24-hour rainfall in Nome, Alaska

By Scott Bachmeier •

The MIMIC Total Precipitable Water (TPW) product (above) showed a northward-moving atmospheric river that was responsible for producing a record 24-hour rainfall amount of 2.47 inches (62.7 mm) ending at 10 pm AKDT on 02 August (06 UTC on 03 August 2019). Some of the poleward transport of moisture was aided by the approach... Read More

MIMIC Total Precipitable Water product [click to play animation | MP4]

MIMIC Total Precipitable Water product [click to play animation | MP4]

The MIMIC Total Precipitable Water (TPW) product (above) showed a northward-moving atmospheric river that was responsible for producing a record 24-hour rainfall amount of 2.47 inches (62.7 mm) ending at 10 pm AKDT on 02 August (06 UTC on 03 August 2019). Some of the poleward transport of moisture was aided by the approach of a Gale Force low (surface analyses).

Blended TPW values reached 2.7 inches near Nome at 1537 UTC on 02 August — and broad areas of TPW greater than 200% of normal (yellow) were seen across the Bering Sea as the atmospheric river approached the Seward Peninsula (below).

Blended Total Precipitable Water and Percent of Normal [click to play animation | MP4]

Blended Total Precipitable Water and Percent of Normal TPW [click to play animation | MP4]

In a plot of surface data from Nome, Alaska over the 02-03 August period (below), heavy rain was reported at 1222 UTC on 02 August.

Time series of surface data from Nome, Alaska [click to enlarge]

Time series of surface data from Nome, Alaska [click to enlarge]

A plot of rawinsonde data from Nome at 12 UTC on 02 August (below) revealed a TPW value of 37.7 mm (1.48 inches), which is among the top 10 TPW amounts on record for that site.

Plot of rawinsonde data from Nome at 12 UTC on 02 August [click to enlarge]

Plot of rawinsonde data from Nome at 12 UTC on 02 August [click to enlarge]

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