GOES-14 0.63 µm visible channel images (click to play Animated GIF)

The GOES-14 satellite was in Super Rapid Scan Operations for GOES-R (SRSOR) mode, providing coverage of Tropical Storm Lowell in the East Pacific Ocean on 19 August 2014; an animation of 0.63 µm visible channel images (Animated GIF | MP4 movie file | YouTube) showed a gradual increase in the organization of a convective banding structure during the day. At 12 UTC Tropical Storm Lowell was located several hundred miles southwest of Baja California, with a center at 15.5º North latitude, 119.5º West longitude.

GOES-15 10.7 µm IR channel images with an overlay of Metop ASCAT surface scatterometer winds from the CIMSS Tropical Cyclones site (below) showed the the strongest winds (40.0-49.9 knots, yellow barbs) were in the southeastern quadrant of Lowell at 17:11 UTC.

GOES-15 10.7 µm IR images with Metop ASCAT surface scatterometer winds

A comparison of the 16 UTC GOES-15 10.7 µm IR channel image with the corresponding DMSP SSMIS 85 GHz microwave image (below) indicated that the highest rainfall rates were associated with the convective banding  (and coldest cloud tops) within the southern semicircle of the storm.

GOES-15 10.7 µm IR image and DMSP SSMIS 85 GHz microwave image

View only this post Read Less

GOES-14 0.63 µm visible channel images (click to play animation)

The GOES-14 satellite was in Super Rapid Scan Operations for GOES-R (SRSOR) mode providing 1-minute imagery over the eastern US on 18 August 2014. From the late morning into the afternoon hours, 0.63 µm visible channel images (above; click image to play animation; also available as an MP4 movie file or a YouTube video) revealed a large and well-defined mesoscale convective vortex (MCV) propagating eastward across northern Mississippi. This MCV was spawned from a thunderstorm which rapidly developed over far southwestern Arkansas during the preceding nighttime hours (beginning around 06:15 UTC: GOES-13 IR images).

A comparison of Suomi NPP VIIRS 11.45 µm IR channel images (below) showed the rapid growth of the parent thunderstorm from 07:18 UTC to 08:59 UTC. The coldest cloud-top IR brightness temperatures were -80º C.

Suomi NPP VIIRS 11.45 µm IR channel images

View only this post Read Less

GOES-14 0.63 µm visible channel images (click to play animation)

GOES-14 is in special SRSO-R operations that provides 1-minute imagery, allowing a compelling look at the dissipation of valley fog over Pennsylvania this morning. This animation is also available as a YouTube video, or as an mp4.

A description of the detection of the fog development overnight can be found on the CIMSS Fog Blog.

View only this post Read Less

GOES-14 0.63 µm visible channel images (click to play animation)

The GOES-14 satellite was placed into Super Rapid Scan Operations for GOES-R (SRSOR) mode on 14 August 2014, providing imagery at 1-minute intervals with the goal of monitoring the western US for convection and/or wildfire activity. McIDAS images of 0.63 µm visible channel data (above; click image to play animation; also available as an MP4 movie file) showed the development of clusters of slow-moving thunderstorms in the Las Vegas, Nevada region. These storms produced strong winds (gusts estimated at 60 mph) and heavy rainfall which caused flash flooding: Boulder City in far southern Nevada (located just east of Henderson, station identifier KHND) received 0.75 inch of rain in only 30 minutes. In addition to the state boundaries and yellow station identifiers, Interstate highways are drawn in red and State highways are cyan.

Another item of interest to note on the GOES-14 visible images: Lake Mead located to the east of Las Vegas was at an all-time record low level (1080.19 feet on 12 August) since it was filled back in the 1930s. The dark blue map outline represents the boundary of the lake as recently as the mid-1990s; the current area occupied by the darker water in Lake Mead’s Overton Arm (which extends northward) is drastically smaller in size, a result of the long-term severe to extreme drought.

AWIPS-2 images of the GOES-15 sounder Total Precipitable Water (TPW) derived product (below; click image to play animation) showed that these thunderstorms developed along a very sharp moisture boundary that was oriented roughly southwest to northeast across the area — TPW values of 30-40 mm (1.2-1.6 inches, yellow to red color enhancement) were seen east of the boundary, with TPW values of 10-20 mm (0.4-0.8 inch, shades of blue) west of the boundary.

GOES-15 sounder Total Precipitable Water derived product images (click to play animation)

View only this post Read Less