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Hurricane Florence continues to approach the southeastern US

By Scott Bachmeier •

Hurricane Florence maintained Category 4 intensity on the morning of 11 September 2018 — and 1-minute (initially 30-second, until 1345 UTC) Mesoscale Domain Sector GOES-16 (GOES-East) “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images (above) and “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm) images (below) showed improving eye structure after the tropical cyclone completed an eyewall replacement cycle during the... Read More

GOES-16

GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images [click to play MP4 animation]

Hurricane Florence maintained Category 4 intensity on the morning of 11 September 2018 — and 1-minute (initially 30-second, until 1345 UTC) Mesoscale Domain Sector GOES-16 (GOES-East) “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images (above) and “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm) images (below) showed improving eye structure after the tropical cyclone completed an eyewall replacement cycle during the preceding nighttime hours (MIMIC TC). A distinct pattern of transverse banding was also evident within the northern semicircle of Florence on Infrared imagery.

GOES-16

GOES-16 “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm) images [click to play MP4 animation]

DMSP-18 SSMIS Microwave (85 GHz) imagery from the CIMSS Tropical Cyclones site (below) showed a large eye at 1015 UTC, and also at 1103 UTC.

DMSP-18 SSMIS Microwave (85 GHz) and GOES-16

DMSP-18 SSMIS Microwave (85 GHz) and GOES-16 “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm) images at 1015 UTC [click to enlarge]

GOES-16 Upper-level Water Vapor (6.2 µm) images with Derived Motion Winds (below) revealed that a well-defined high altitude outflow channel had developed northwest of Florence, helping the storm to maintain its intensity.

GOES-16 Upper-level Water Vapor (6.2 µm) images, with Derived Motion Winds [click to play MP4 animation]

GOES-16 Upper-level Water Vapor (6.2 µm) images, with Derived Motion Winds [click to play MP4 animation]

1-minute GOES-16 True Color Red-Green-Blue (RGB) images (courtesy of Kathy Strabala, CIMSS; details) are shown below. A larger-scale RGB animation beginning at sunrise is available here (courtesy of Rick Kohrs, SSEC).

GOES-16 natural color RGB images [click to play MP4 animation]

1-minute GOES-16 True Color RGB images, 1330-1440 UTC [click to play MP4 animation]

Taking a closer look at the center of Florence later in the day, 1-minute GOES-16 data (below) showed mesovortices within the eye on Visible imagery, along with a narrow radial band of colder (darker red) cloud-top infrared brightness temperatures about 30-50 miles from the inner edge of the eyewall.

GOES-16

GOES-16 “Red” Viisible (0.64 µm) images [click to play MP4 animation]

GOES-16

GOES-16 “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm) images [click to play MP4 animation]

===== 12 September Update =====

Florence remained at Category 4 intensity early in the day as it continued its northwestward motion toward the southeast coast of the US on 12 September. A 20-hour period of 1-minute GOES-16 Infrared images (from 0000-2015 UTC) is shown below.

1-minute GOES-16

1-minute GOES-16 “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm) images, from 0000-2015 UTC [click to play MP4 animation]

Nighttime toggles between VIIRS Day/Night Band (0.7 µm) and Infrared Window (11.45 µm) images from Suomi NPP and NOAA-20 are shown below (courtesy of William Straka, CIMSS). Bright lightning-illuminated cloud areas can be seen on the DNB images distant to the north and northwest of the storm center; with minimal illumination from the Moon (which was in the Waxing Crescent phase, at only 10% of Full), Florence was illuminated primarily via airglow. On the Infrared images, a coarse pattern of transverse banding was evident along the far southern and western periphery of the storm.

Suomi NPP VIIRS Day/Night Band and Infrared Window images [click to enlarge]

Suomi NPP VIIRS Day/Night Band (0.7 µm) and Infrared Window (11.45 µm) images [click to enlarge]

NOAA-20 VIIRS Day/Night Band and Infrared Window images [click to enlarge]

NOOA-20 VIIRS Day/Night Band (0.7 µm) and Infrared Window (11.45 µm) images [click to enlarge]

A sequence of Terra/Aqua MODIS and Suomi NPP VIIRS Infrared images (below) showed dramatic changes in the cold central dense overcast (CDO) of Florence between 02 and 18 UTC.

Infrared Window images from Terra MODIS (11.0 µm) and Suomi NPP VIIRS (11.45 µm) [click to enlarge]

Infrared Window images from Terra MODIS (11.0 µm) and Suomi NPP VIIRS (11.45 µm) [click to enlarge]

During the morning hours, 1-minute GOES-16 Visible and Infrared images (below) once again displayed a distinct eye and eyewall structure, with surface mesovortices evident within the eye. A curious linear standing wave — extending radially outward to the northeast of the storm center — developed from about 13-15 UTC (best seen on Infrared images).

GOES-16

GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images [click to play MP4 animation]

GOES-16

GOES-16 “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm) images [click to play MP4 animation]

ASCAT surface scatterometer winds from Metop-A (below) were as strong as 76 knots just northeast of the eye at 1450 UTC.

GOES-16

GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) image with Metop-A ASCAT surface scatterometer winds [click to enlarge]

A stereoscopic animation using GOES-16 and GOES-17 imagery is shown below — to view in three dimensions, cross your eyes until 3 equal images are apparent, then focus on the image in the center. *Note: GOES-17 images shown here are preliminary and non-operational*

Stereoscopic animation using GOES-16 and GOES-17

Stereoscopic animation using GOES-16 and GOES-17 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) imagery [click to play animation]

During the afternoon hours, GOES-16 Visible and Infrared images (below) showed that the eye presentation  was beginning to deteriorate as Florence weakened to Category 3 intensity by 21 UTC.

GOES-16

GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images [click to play MP4 animation]

GOES-16

GOES-16 “Clean” Infrared Window {10.3 µm) images [click to play MP4 animation]

The MIMIC Total Precipitable Water product (below) indicated that high TPW values associated with Florence began to move inland along the US East Coast by the end of the day.

MIMIC Total Precipitable Water product [click to enlarge]

MIMIC Total Precipitable Water product [click to enlarge]

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GOES-17 views the active tropics

By Scott Bachmeier •

* GOES-17 images shown here are preliminary and non-operational *GOES-17 Full Disk natural color Red-Green-Blue (RGB) images (above; courtesy of Dave Stettner, CIMSS) revealed the very active tropics across the East Pacific and North Atlantic basins on 10 September 2018 — from left to right, Hurricane Olivia and Tropical Storm Paul in the Pacific... Read More

GOES-17 Full Disk true color images [click to play animation]

GOES-17 Full Disk natural color RGB images [click to play animation]

* GOES-17 images shown here are preliminary and non-operational *

GOES-17 Full Disk natural color Red-Green-Blue (RGB) images (above; courtesy of Dave Stettner, CIMSS) revealed the very active tropics across the East Pacific and North Atlantic basins on 10 September 2018 — from left to right, Hurricane Olivia and Tropical Storm Paul in the Pacific Ocean, Invest 95L in the Caribbean Sea, and in the Atlantic Ocean Hurricane Florence, Hurricane Isaac and Hurricane Helene.

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Hurricane Florence

By Scott Bachmeier •

After previously weakening from a Category 4 hurricane (on 04 September) to a tropical storm on 07 September (track/intensity), Florence re-intensified to become a Category 1 hurricane at 15 UTC on 09 September 2018. 1-minute Mesoscale Domain Sector GOES-16 (GOES-East) “Red” Visible (0.63 µm) are shown above, with the corresponding “Clean” Infrared Window... Read More

GOES-16

GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) iimages [click to play MP4 animation]

After previously weakening from a Category 4 hurricane (on 04 September) to a tropical storm on 07 September (track/intensity), Florence re-intensified to become a Category 1 hurricane at 15 UTC on 09 September 2018. 1-minute Mesoscale Domain Sector GOES-16 (GOES-East) “Red” Visible (0.63 µm) are shown above, with the corresponding “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm) images shown below. An eye structure appeared for brief intervals during the day, but was often masked by cloud debris from a series of convective bursts within the surrounding eyewall.

GOES-16

GOES-16 “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm) images [click to play MP4 animation]

GPM GMI Microwave (85 GHz) image at 1811 UTC [click to enlarge]

GPM GMI Microwave (85 GHz) image at 1811 UTC [click to enlarge]

GPM GMI (above) and DMSP-16 SSMIS (below) Microwave (85 GHz) images from the CIMSS Tropical Cyclones site revealed that the eye was still partially open at 1811 UTC and 1945 UTC.

DMSP-16 SSMIS Microwave (85 GHz) image at 1845 UTC [click to enlarge]

DMSP-16 SSMIS Microwave (85 GHz) image at 1845 UTC [click to enlarge]

===== 10 September Update =====

GOES-16

GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images, with GLM Group lightning [click to enlarge]

GOES-16 GLM lightning Groups (aggregates of GLM lightning Events) are plotted on “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images (above) and “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm) images (below), courtesy of Dave Santek, SSEC.

GOES-16

GOES-16 “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm) images, with GLM Group lightning [click to enlarge]

Overlapping GOES-16 and GOES-17 Mesoscale Domain Sectors were positioned over Hurricane Florence beginning at 1200 UTC (providing imagery at 30-second intervals) — Visible animations are shown below.

* GOES-17 images shown here are preliminary and non-operational *

GOES-16

GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images [click to play MP4 animation]

GOES-17

GOES-17 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images [click to play MP4 animation]

Longer animations of 30-second GOES-16 Visible and Infrared images viewed using AWIPS (below) provided a better view of  the mesovortices within the eye. Florence rapidly intensified (ADT | SATCON) to a Category 4 hurricane during this period.

GOES-16

GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images [click to play MP4 animation]

GOES-16

GOES-16 “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm) images [click to play MP4 animation]

One particularly large mesovortex rotated around the eastern edge of the eye after 2100 UTC, significantly eroding the eyewall (below).

GOES-16

GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images [click to play MP4 animation]

GOES-16

GOES-16 “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm) images [click to play MP4 animation]

Later in the early evening hours, GOES-16 Infrared imagery (below) showed an area of pronounced cloud-top warming and a thinning of cloud material just south of the eyewall, as Florence began to undergo an eyewall replacement cycle.

GOES-16

GOES-16 “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm) images [click to play MP4 animation]

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Delta Fire pyroCumulonimbus cloud in California

By Scott Bachmeier •

GOES-16 (GOES-East) “Red” Visible (0.64 µm), Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm), “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm) and Cloud Top Temperature product images displayed using AWIPS (above) showed the formation of a pyroCumulonimbus (pyroCb) cloud generated by the Delta Fire in Northern California late in the day on 05 September 2018. As the pyroCb cloud drifted eastward toward the California/Nevada... Read More

GOES-16

GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm, top left), Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm, top right), “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm, bottom left) and Cloud Top Temperature product (bottom right) [click to play animation | MP4]

GOES-16 (GOES-East) “Red” Visible (0.64 µm), Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm), “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm) and Cloud Top Temperature product images displayed using AWIPS (above) showed the formation of a pyroCumulonimbus (pyroCb) cloud generated by the Delta Fire in Northern California late in the day on 05 September 2018. As the pyroCb cloud drifted eastward toward the California/Nevada border, Cloud Top Temperature values cooled to a minimum of -53ºC (lighter green enhancement) at 0300 UTC. Note the pulsing behavior of updrafts over the fire area: 2 distinct updraft pulses were apparent (at 0022 UTC and 0042 UTC), with the later pulse producing the pyroCb.



A longer animation of GOES-16 “Red” Visible, Shortwave Infrared and “Clean” Infrared Window images displayed using McIDAS (below) showed that the first hot (red) Shortwave Infrared pixels appeared at 2027 UTC. The fire caused a 5-mile section of Interstate 5 to be closed.

GOES-16 "Red" Visible (0.64 µm, top), Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm, middle), "Clean" Infrared Window (10.3 µm, bottom); Interstate 5 is plotted in cyan [click to play animation | MP4]

GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm, top), Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm, middle) and “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm, bottom) images; Interstate 5 is plotted in cyan [click to play animation | MP4]

GOES-17 (positioned at 89.5º W longitude during its post-launch checkout phase) had a more direct view of the pyroCb than GOES-16 (positioned over the Atlantic Ocean at 75.2º W longitude) — and GOES-17 “Red” Visible, Shortwave Infrared and “Clean” Infrared Window images are shown below. Unfortunately the default GOES-17 Western US Mesoscale Domain Sector was shifted farther to the south on this day, so 1-minute imagery of the pyroCb event was not available.

GOES-17 "Red" Visible (0.64 µm, top), Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm, middle), "Clean" Infrared Window (10.3 µm, bottom) images; Interstate 5 is plotted in cyan [click to play animation | MP4]

GOES-17 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm, top), Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm, middle) and “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm, bottom) images; Interstate 5 is plotted in cyan [click to play animation | MP4]

* GOES-17 images shown here are preliminary and non-operational *

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