GOES-16 “Clean Window” Imagery (10.3 µm) every six hours from 1500 UTC 31 August to 0900 UTC 8 September, centered on Irma (Click to animate)

GOES-16 data posted on this page are preliminary, non-operational and are undergoing testing

The animation above shows Irma every 6 hours from 31 August through 8 September, using the GOES-16 “Clean Window” Imagery (10.3 µm). The animation below shows the GOES-16 Upper-Level Water Vapor Infrared Imagery (6.19 µm) (Click here for the Low-Level Water Vapor Infrared Imagery — 7.34 µm). All three animations show a gradual increase in the size of the storm. The structure of the storm at the very end suggests a slight weakening, most likely temporary, of Irma.

GOES-16 “Low-Level Water Vapor” Infrared Imagery (6.19 µm) every six hours from 1500 UTC 31 August to 0900 UTC 8 September, centered on Irma (Click to animate)

The recent slight weakening of Irma is mostly likely related to an Eyewall Replacement Cycle, shown in the Microwave Imagery below (from this site). In an Eyewall Replacement, an outer eyewall develops around the inner eyewall, after which time the inner eyewall will diminish and then dissipate, usually but not always weakening the storm. The outer eyewall will then contract, usually as the storm re-intensifies (if other environmental parameters that govern strengthening — Sea Surface Temperatures, Moisture, Shear — are favorable).

Morphed Microwave Imagery over Irma for the 48 hours ending 1200 UTC on 8 September 2017 (Click to enlarge)

The imagery below shows a recent 8-hour animation of Irma and Katia using the GOES-16 Clean Window (10.3 µm) Channel. The Inner Core of Irma looks a bit more ragged compared to previous days, although excellent outflow continues, and very little dry air is apparent. Katia in the southwest Gulf of Mexico is occasionally presenting an eye.

GOES-16 “Clean Window” Imagery (10.3 µm) 0717-1522 UTC on 8 September (Click to animate)

For more on this system, please consult the National Hurricane Center Website, or the SSEC/CIMSS Tropical Weather Website.

View only this post Read Less

GOES-16 Low-Level Water Vapor Infrared (7.34 µm) Imagery, 0737 – 1232 UTC on 7 September 2017 (Click to animate)

GOES-16 data posted on this page are preliminary, non-operational and are undergoing testing

GOES-16 Captured very strong Hurricane Irma, north of Hispaniola, early on the day on 7 September. The 7.34 µm channel shown is sensitive to water vapor, that is, water vapor in the atmosphere absorbs energy at 7.34 µm. The animation shows the storm moving steadily to the west-northwest. A far less-organized Hurricane Katia is over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico, with a strong jet extending from Katia northeastward along the east coast. A short animation of Visible Imagery with Geostationary Lightning Mapper data, below, from 1015-1230 UTC, shows considerable lightning activity continuing in the eye of the storm and in some of the convective bands that surround it.

GOES-16 Visible (0.64 µm) Imagery at 15-minute intervals underneath plots of GLM Group Activity in 3-minute intervals, 1015-1230 UTC 7 September 2017 (Click to animate)

Suomi NPP overflew Irma at about 1800 UTC on 7 September. Visible (0.64 µm) and Infrared (11.45 µm) imagery from the VIIRS Instrument on Suomi NPP is below.

Suomi NPP VIIRS Visible (0.64 µm) imagery, 1808 UTC on 7 September 2017 (Click to enlarge)

Suomi NPP VIIRS Infrared (11.45 µm) imagery, 1808 UTC on 7 September 2017 (Click to enlarge)

View only this post Read Less

Suomi NPP VIIRS Visible Imagery (0.64 µm) at 1646 UTC on 6 September 2017, with and without annotation (Click to enlarge)

Suomi NPP overflew Irma as the storm moved through the British Virgin Islands. The toggle above shows the 0.64 µm Visible Image of the storm at that time, with and without annotations.  An infrared view from VIIRS, at 11.45 µm is shown below.

Suomi NPP VIIRS Infrared Imagery (11.45 µm) at 1646 UTC on 6 September 2017, with and without annotation (Click to enlarge)

(Imagery courtesy Will Straka, CIMSS)

View only this post Read Less

Daily Snapshots of Suomi NPP True Color Imagery overlain with Fire Detection points (in red), from 25 August – 5 September 2017 (Click to animate)

Dry weather over the Pacific Northwest (and over Idaho and Montana) has created an ideal environment lately for wildfires, and much of the region is shrouded in smoke from those fires as shown in the Suomi NPP True Color Imagery, above, from this site.  Note the red points that are Suomi-NPP-detected fires; they persist from day to day, and some grow in size during the course of the animation. GOES-16 Animations of True Color (in this case, the CIMSS Natural True Color product that is created using Bands 1, 2 and 3 (0.47 µm, 0.64 µm and 0.86 µm, respectively)), below, (also available here; a similar product from CIRA is available here), show the pall of smoke as well. Air Quality Alerts from the National Weather Service were widespread on 6 September.

CIMSS Natural True Color, every 15 minutes, from 1400-2130 UTC on 6 September 2017 (Click to animate)

GOES-16 has multiple channels and products that can view both the Smoke and the Fires that produce the smoke. In addition to the visible imagery, Fire Products, below, can characterize the Temperature, Power (in megawatts) and area (in square meters) of the fire detected by GOES-16.  On this day, clouds over the fires in Oregon mean that satellite detection is challenged, even though the by-product, smoke, is apparent.  Fires over Idaho are readily apparent however.  These fires were also detected by the 3.9 µm Shortwave Infrared channel on GOES-16, the traditional fire-detection channel (used in concert with 10.3 µm, the clean window channel).  Imagery at 1.6 µm and 2.2 µm imagery can also be used to highlight hot fires;  that will be the subject of a future blog post.

GOES-16 Fire Products: Fire Temperature, Fire Power and Fire Area, 2037 UTC on 6 September 2017 (Click to enlarge)

The mp4 animation, below, shows CIMSS Natural True Color over the Full Disk on 5 September 2017.  The Full Disk View allows a better visualization of how the smoke is moving (and underscores how widespread it is) — and it shows Hurricane Irma as well.

CIMSS Natural True Color, every 15 minutes, on 5 September 2017 (Click to animate)

NOAA creates many Smoke-related products, some of which are easily accessible at this link.

View only this post Read Less