1-minute Mesoscale Domain Sector GOES-16 (GOES-East) “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images (above) showed the development of a supercell thunderstorm that produced tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds (SPC storm reports) across parts of eastern Wyoming on 28 July 2018. A distinct above-anvil cirrus plume could be seen with this storm.

The corresponding GOES-16 “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm) images (below) revealed that the dominant northern storm began to exhibit a well-defined enhanced-V signature (2051 UTC image) about an hour before it began to produce tornadoes. Minimum cloud-top infrared brightness temperatures were in the -60 to -65ºC range (darker shades of red) with the stronger pulses of overshooting tops.

A sequence of Infrared Window images from Suomi VIIRS (11.45 µm) and Aqua MODIS (11.0 µm) (below) showed minimum cloud-top infrared brightness temperatures rapidly cooling from the -40s to -72ºC as the dominant storm crossed Interstate 25.

A comparison of the Terra and Aqua MODIS Total Precipitable Water product (below) indicated that TPW values increased from the 10-20 mm range to the 20-30 mm range in less than 2 hours.

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1-minute Mesoscale Domain Sector GOES-16 (GOES-East) “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) and Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm) images (above) showed the large thermal anomaly or “hot spot” (cluster of red pixels) associated with the Carr Fire in northern California as it produced a pyrocumulonimbus (pyroCb) cloud during the afternoon hours on 27 July 2018. A 30-meter resolution Landsat-8 False Color image from the previous day showed the large size of the burn scar; extreme fire behavior on 27 July caused the Carr Fire to quickly increase in size and move closer to Redding CA, and also produce the pyroCb.

Another view using GOES-16 “Red” Visible, Shortwave Infrared, “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm) and the Cloud Top Temperature product (below) showed the pyroCb cloud as it drifted rapidly northeast over Nevada and Oregon, along with a second (albeit smaller) pyroCb cloud which developed around 0130 UTC. One standard parameter used for defining a pyroCb cloud is a minimum cloud-top longwave infrared brightness temperature of -40ºC (ensuring complete glaciation) — and in this case with 1-minute imagery, the multi-spectral Cloud Top Temperature (CTT) product (FAQ) indicated that the pyroCb cloud reached the -40ºC threshold 19 minutes earlier than the 10.3 µm infrared imagery. From that point forward, the CTT product was consistently at least 5-10ºC colder than the 10.3 µm brightness temperature; the CTT product eventually displayed a minimum value of -53.9ºC over northeastern California. Even as the 10.3 µm brightness temperature began to rapidly warm after about 0100 UTC, the CTT product continued to display values in the -45 to -50ºC range (shades of green) which allowed for unambiguous tracking of the pyroCb.

In the case of the second (smaller) pyroCb cloud that formed from the Carr Fire after 0130 UTC, the 10.3 µm brightness temperature failed to reach the -40ºC threshold, while the CTT product again displayed values in the -45 to -50ºC range. The coldest CTT value of -53.9ºC (seen with the initial pyroCb) roughly corresponded to an altitude of 12.5 km or 41,000 feet according to 00 UTC rawinsonde data from Reno, Nevada (below). Strong upper-tropospheric winds of 80-90 knots rapidly transported the pyroCb anvil northeastward.

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A supercell thunderstorm which developed in southeastern Montana during the afternoon hours on 27 July 2018 produced damaging wind-driven hail as it moved southeastward across western South Dakota into far northern Nebraska (SPC storm reports | NWS Rapid City summary). 1-minute Mesoscale Domain Sector GOES-16 (GOES-East) “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images (above) showed the evolution of this storm.

The corresponding GOES-16 “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm) images (below) revealed minimum cloud-top infrared brightness temperatures in the -60 to -70ºC range (darker red to black enhancement) with the strongest pulses of overshooting tops. The storm began to exhibit a well-defined enhanced-V signature once it crossed the South Dakota / Nebraska border after about 0200 UTC.

OST EM & Martin Fire on scene all night at Oglala. Major hail damage. Aid center at Oglala Recreation Center. pic.twitter.com/BNJu357ytq

— Martin Vol Fire Dept (@martin_vol) July 28, 2018

Major window and siding damage. Crops and grass beat to the ground. Crews assembling to assist area residents. No serious injuries reported at this time. pic.twitter.com/fUA3CqYeO1

— Martin Vol Fire Dept (@martin_vol) July 28, 2018

===== 30 July Update =====

A comparison of 250-meter resolution Terra MODIS True Color and False Color Red-Green-Blue (RGB) images from the MODIS Today site (above) showed the northwest-to-southeast hail damage swath across southwestern South Dakota on 30 July.

Before/after (16/30 July) comparisons of MODIS True Color RGB images viewed using RealEarth and MODIS Today (below) further illustrate the appearance of the hail damage swath.

In a comparison between the 30 July Terra MODIS Visible (0.65 µm) image and the corresponding Land Surface Temperature (LST) and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) products (below), within the core of the hail damage swath (near Oglala) LST values warmed into the 90s F and NDVI values were reduced to the 0.2 to 0.3 range (compared to cooler LST values in the 80s F and higher NDVI values of 0.3 to 0.6 over healthy vegetation areas immediately adjacent to the damage swath).

===== 31 July Update =====

In a better, more cloud-free before/after comparison of MODIS True Color images from 14 and 31 July (above), it can be seen that the NW-SE oriented hail damage swath extended into Nebraska (where hail as large as 3.0 inches was reported).

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GOES-16 (GOES-East) “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) and Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm) images (above) showed the smoke and pyrocumulus clouds as well as the thermal anomaly or “hot spot” (red pixels) associated with the Cranston Fire — located in the center of the images — which started southwest of Palm Springs, California (KPSP) around 1852 UTC or 11:52 am PDT on 25 July 2018. The large areas of red seen on the Shortwave Infrared images early in the animation were signatures of very hot sandy soil surfaces of the southern California deserts. Note the very warm air temperatures seen across the region; Palm Springs had an afternoon high of 116ºF, and Thermal KTRM had a high of 119ºF (farther inland, Death Valley had a high of 127ºF).

A slightly different view — with the fire located in the lower left corner, southwest of KPSP — using GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm), Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm) and “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm) images (below) revealed that the fire actually produced 3 distinct pulses of pyroCumulonimbus (pyroCb) cloud, where the 10.3 µm cloud-top infrared brightness temperature reached or exceeded the -40ºC threshold (lime green enhancement). Three specific times that these separate pyroCb clouds were evident were 2102 UTC, 2147 UTC and 2312 UTC.

Another view of the pyroCb pulses was provided by a 4-panel view of GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm), Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm), “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm) and Cloud Top Phase (below). The coldest 10.3 µm cloud-top infrared brightness temperatures were -55ºC as the primary pyroCb anvil drifted northeastward toward the California/Nevada border.

There was also substantial lightning observed with these pyroCb clouds:

Loop of fire temperature RGB showing #CranstonFire in Southern California yesterday. Total lightning also overlaid showing pyrocumulus generated dry lightning. Areas of glint also seen towards end of the loop from solar farms reflecting light directly into the #GOESEast ABI pic.twitter.com/9wsBBeJsAu

— William Churchill (@kudrios) July 26, 2018

Below is a timelapse video of the first 8 hours of the fire, which shows the pyroCb evolution at the end.

===== 26 July Update =====

Another pyroCb was produced by the Cranston Fire on 26 July, as shown by GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm), Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm), “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm) and Fire Temperature images (above). Similar to the previous day, there appeared to be 2 pulses of pyroCb formation — with cloud-top infrared brightness temperatures cooling to -44ºC. Pyrocumulus from the smaller Ribbon Fire (just southeast of the Cranston Fire) could also be seen.

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