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Hurricane Hector

By Scott Bachmeier •

* GOES-17 images shown here are preliminary and non-operational *A toggle between NOAA-20 and Suomi NPP VIIRS Infrared Window (11.45 µm) images (above; courtesy of William Straka, CIMSS) showed the well-defined eye of Hurricane Hector after it had reached Category 4 intensity on 06 August 2018 (advisories: EPAC | CPAC).GOES-17... Read More

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

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

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

A toggle between NOAA-20 and Suomi NPP VIIRS Infrared Window (11.45 µm) images (above; courtesy of William Straka, CIMSS) showed the well-defined eye of Hurricane Hector after it had reached Category 4 intensity on 06 August 2018 (advisories: EPAC | CPAC).

GOES-17 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images (below) revealed cloud-top gravity waves within the eyewall region of the storm, along with thin filaments of transverse banding in the northern semicircle farther from the eye.

GOES-17

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

GOES-15 (GOES-West) Visible (0.63 µm) and Infrared Window (10.7 µm) images (below) showed that eyewall cloud-top infrared brightness temperatures were in the -70 to -80ºC range (black to white enhancement).

GOES-15 Visible (0.63 µm, left) and Infrared Window (10.7 µm, right) images [click to play animation | MP4]

GOES-15 Visible (0.63 µm, left) and Infrared Window (10.7 µm, right) images [click to play animation | MP4]

A magnified view of GOES-15 Visible images (below) revealed mesovortices within the eye of Hector.

GOES-15 Visible (0.63 µm) images [click to play animation | MP4]

GOES-15 Visible (0.63 µm) images [click to play animation | MP4]

Metop ASCAT surface scatterometer winds (below) surrounding the eye were near 70 knots around 1930 UTC.

GOES-15 Infrared Window (10.7 µm) image and Metop ASCAT surface scatterometer winds [click to enlarge]

GOES-15 Infrared Window (10.7 µm) image and Metop ASCAT surface scatterometer winds [click to enlarge]

The MIMIC-TC morphed microwave product (below) showed that Hector underwent an eyewall replacement cycle early in the day on 05 August, and then maintained a well-defined eye as it subsequently strengthened to a high-end Category 4 intensity on 06 August (ADT | SATCON).

MIMIC-TC morphed microwave product [click to play animation]

MIMIC-TC morphed microwave product [click to play animation]

===== 07 August Update =====

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

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

A nighttime NOAA-20 VIIRS Day/Night Band (0.7 µm) image (above) revealed the presence of mesospheric airglow waves (reference) propagating northwestward away from Category 4 Hurricane Hector on 07 August. Note that these high-altitude waves were not apparent on the corresponding Infrared Window (11.45 µm) image.

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Smoke from Mendocino Complex fires in California

By Scott Bachmeier •

GOES-16 (GOES-East) “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) and Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm) images (above) showed the smoke and thermal anomalies or “hot spots” (red pixels) associated with the Mendocino Complex burning in Northern California on 04 August 2018. Smoke was reducing the surface visibility to 2.5 miles at nearby Sacramento International Airport KSMF and Marysville KMYV.... Read More

GOES-16

GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm, left) and Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm, right) images, with hourly plots of surface observations [click to play animation | MP4]

GOES-16 (GOES-East) “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) and Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm) images (above) showed the smoke and thermal anomalies or “hot spots” (red pixels) associated with the Mendocino Complex burning in Northern California on 04 August 2018. Smoke was reducing the surface visibility to 2.5 miles at nearby Sacramento International Airport KSMF and Marysville KMYV. As of 7pm local time on 04 August the Mendocino Complex had burned 229,000 acres.

A 30-meter resolution Landsat-8 False Color Red-Green-Blue (RGB) image viewed using RealEarth (below) showed active burning along the eastern edge of the Ranch Fire (part of the Mendocino Complex) at 1845 UTC. The larger fire was producing a pyrocumulus cloud in addition to the dense smoke plume drifting northeastward.

Landsat-8 False Color image [click to enlarge]

Landsat-8 False Color RGB image [click to enlarge]

GOES-16 Upper-level (6.2 µm), Mid-level (6.9 µm) and Low-level (7.3 µm) Water Vapor images (below) revealed a southwest-to-northeast oriented band of moisture and fast flow associated with a middle to upper-tropospheric jet streak that was moving over the region (300 hPa analyses). “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images showed the smoke plume drifting rapidly northeastward over California and Nevada, and visible Derived Motion Winds — which are calculated for pressure levels at and below 700 hPa —  tracked the smoke moving as fast as 58 knots at 2337 UTC. This speed was faster than 00 UTC winds at or below 700 hPa on rawinsonde data from either Oakland KOAK or Reno KREV.

GOES-16 Upper-level (6.2 µm, top left), Mid-level (6.9 µm, top right), Low-level (7.3 µm, bottom left) Water Vapor and "Red" Visible with Derived Motion Winds (0.64 µm, bottom right) [click to play MP4 animation]

GOES-16 Upper-level (6.2 µm, top left), Mid-level (6.9 µm, top right), Low-level (7.3 µm, bottom left) Water Vapor images and “Red” Visible (0.64 µm, bottom right) images with Derived Motion Winds [click to play MP4 animation]

===== 07 August Update =====

NOAA-20 VIIRS Day/Night Band (0.7 µm), Near-Infrared (1.61 µm and 2.25 µm) and Shortwave Infrared (3.75 µm) images [click to enlarge]

NOAA-20 VIIRS Day/Night Band (0.7 µm), Near-Infrared (1.61 µm and 2.25 µm) and Shortwave Infrared (3.75 µm) images [click to enlarge]

A comparison of NOAA-20 VIIRS Day/Night Band (0.7 µm), Near-Infrared (1.61 µm and 2.25 µm) and Shortwave Infrared (3.75 µm) images (above; courtesy of William Straka, CIMSS) showed the nighttime glow and thermal signatures of the Mendocino Complex fires on 07 August 2018. As of 8:30am the fire had burned over 290,000 acres, becoming the largest wildfire on record in the state of California.

 

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Alonsa, Manitoba EF-4 tornado

By Scott Bachmeier •

1-minute Mesoscale Domain Sector GOES-16 (GOES-East) “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images (above) showed the development of a thunderstorm which produced an EF-4 tornado near Alonsa, Manitoba during the early evening hours on 03 August 2018. The cell began to develop southwest of Alonsa around 0020 UTC, and as the thunderstorm matured a series of pulsing... Read More

GOES-16

GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images, with hourly plots of surface reports; yellow * denotes the town of Alonsa [click to play MP4 animation]

1-minute Mesoscale Domain Sector GOES-16 (GOES-East) “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images (above) showed the development of a thunderstorm which produced an EF-4 tornado near Alonsa, Manitoba during the early evening hours on 03 August 2018. The cell began to develop southwest of Alonsa around 0020 UTC, and as the thunderstorm matured a series of pulsing overshooting tops could be seen. The haziness evident in the Visible imagery was due to smoke from wildfires in the western US and Canada.

The corresponding GOES-16 “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm) images (below) revealed that the coldest cloud-top infrared brightness temperature of around -70ºC occurred at 0123 UTC (just prior to the time of the tornado).

GOES-16 "Clean" Infrared Window (10.3 µm) images, with hourly plots of surface reports; black * denotes the town of Alonsa [click to play MP4 animation]

GOES-16 “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm) images, with hourly plots of surface reports; black * denotes the town of Alonsa [click to play MP4 animation]


The tornado damage path could also be seen in a comparison of ESA Sentinel-2 False Color, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Moisture Index Red-Green-Blue (RGB) images (below).

ESA Sentinel-2B False Color, Normalized Difference Vegetattion Index (NDVI) and Moisture Index RGB images [click to enlarge]

ESA Sentinel-2 False Color, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Moisture Index RGB images [click to enlarge]

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Transport of Saharan Air Layer dust across the Atlantic

By Scott Bachmeier •

The GOES-16 (GOES-East) Saharan Air Layer (SAL) infrared Split Window (12.3 µm – 10.3 µm) product (above) showed a large outbreak of SAL dust that emerged from the northwest coast of Africa on 30 July 2018, eventually moving over the Lesser Antilles and Puerto Rico late in the day on 03 August.During daylight hours,... Read More

GOES-16 Split Window (12.3 µm - 10.3 µm) Saharan Air Layer product [click to play MP4 animation]

GOES-16 Split Window (12.3 µm – 10.3 µm) Saharan Air Layer product [click to play MP4 animation]

The GOES-16 (GOES-East) Saharan Air Layer (SAL) infrared Split Window (12.3 µm – 10.3 µm) product (above) showed a large outbreak of SAL dust that emerged from the northwest coast of Africa on 30 July 2018, eventually moving over the Lesser Antilles and Puerto Rico late in the day on 03 August.

During daylight hours, the dust-laden SAL was also evident in GOES-16 Natural Color Red-Green-Blue (RGB) imagery (source) on 01, 02 and 03 August (below).

GOES-16 Natural Color RGB images [click to play MP4 animation]

GOES-16 Natural Color RGB images [click to play MP4 animation]

GOES-16 Split Window 10.3 µm - 12.3 µm) images [click to play animation | MP4]

GOES-16 Split Window (10.3 µm – 12.3 µm) images on 02 August [click to play animation | MP4]

The AWIPS version of GOES-16 Split Window (10.3 µm – 12.3 µm) imagery with a different color enhancement (above) showed the westward motion of the SAL dust (shades of cyan) on 02 August. The corresponding GOES-16 Dust Detection product (below) verified the presence of dust within the SAL plume. Since the Dust Detection product uses Visible and Near-Infrared bands, it is only available during daytime hours (and at solar zenith angles less than 60 degrees).

GOES-16 Dust derived product [click to play animation | MP4]

GOES-16 Dust Detection product on 02 August [click to play animation | MP4]

GOES-16 Split Window (10.3 µm - 12.3 µm) product [click to play animation | MP4]

GOES-16 Split Window (10.3 µm – 12.3 µm) product on 03 August [click to play animation | MP4]

GOES-16 Split Window (10.3 µm – 12.3 µm) imagery from 03 August (above) showed the continued westward motion of the SAL dust (shades of cyan). The corresponding GOES-16 Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) product (below) provided a more quantitative measure of airborne dust. Like the Dust Detection product shown previously, the AOD product also uses Visible and Near-Infrared bands — so it too is only available during daytime hours (and at solar zenith angles less than 60 degrees). Additional information on GOES-R Aerosol Detection Products in AWIPS is available here and here.

GOES-16 Aerosol Optical Depth product [click to play animation | MP4]

GOES-16 Aerosol Optical Depth product on 03 August [click to play animation | MP4]

The 03 August GOES-16 imagery indicated that the leading edge of the SAL began to move over Puerto Rico late in the day. A comparison of morning and evening rawinsonde data from San Juan (below) revealed that the temperature inversion at the base of the SAL became more well-defined at 00 UTC on 04 August.

Plots of rawinsonde data from San Juan, Puerto Rico [click to enlarge]

Plots of rawinsonde data from San Juan, Puerto Rico [click to enlarge]

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