Aqua MODIS: 11.0 µm IR images (grayscale, and color-enhanced) + "Fog/stratus product"

A comparison of AWIPS images of 1-km resolution Aqua MODIS 11.0 µm “IR Window” channel data (both grayscale, and color-enhanced) and the corresponding MODIS “Fog/stratus product” (above) showed some areas of fog and/or stratus cloud over the eastern half of Hudson Bay, Canada on 26 January 2012. On the fog/stratus product, low clouds and/or fog appear as the yellow-to-red enhanced features, while cirrus cloud features appear darker black.

The primary feature of interest here is the very thin – almost “translucent” – patch of fog/stratus located in the upper center portion of the image, to the west of Akulivik (station identifier CYKO) and Povungnituq (station identifier CYPX). The exact edges of this feature were difficult to identify in either the grayscale or the color-enhanced IR images — but the conventional “Fog/stratus product” (simply the difference in IR brightness temperature between the 11.0 µm and 3.7 µm channel data) allowed unambiguous identification of the edges.

About 45 minutes earlier, a similar comparison using McIDAS images of of 375-meter resolution Suomi NPP VIIRS 11.450 µm IR data (both grayscale, and color-enhanced) and the corresponding VIIRS “Fog/stratus product” (below) showed much more detail associated with this particular thin fog/stratus feature. The higher spatial resolution allowed many more of the  ice leads to be seen — even some of the larger ones that were located below the thin fog/stratus feature.

Suomi NPP VIIRS: 11.450 µm IR (grayscale, and color-enhanced) + "Fog/stratus product"

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Suomi NPP VIIRS visible and IR images of the eye of Tropical Cyclone Funso

On 24 January 2012 NASA renamed the recently-launched NPP satellite (formerly known as the NPOES Preparatory Project)  the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (or Suomi NPP) in honor of Dr. Verner Suomi, recognized as “the father of satellite meteorology” (see: NASA News | University of Wisconsin News). A comparison of Suomi NPP 375-meter resolution VIIRS 0.640 µm visible channel and 11.450 µm IR channel images (above) showed the eye of Category 4 Tropical Cyclone Funso, which was located in the Mozambique Channel between Africa and Madagascar at 11:02 UTC on 24 January (track of Tropical Cyclone Funso).

On 25 January 2012, another Suomi NPP 375-meter resolution VIIRS 11.450 µm IR image (below) displayed very cold cloud top IR brightness temperatures (as low as -77º C) associated with a large thunderstom complex over Texas — this storm produced hail up to 1.25 inches in diameter (SPC storm reports) and heavy rainfall of up to 9.29 inches at Uhland (NWS Austin/San Antonio Texas Public Information Statement).

Suomi NPP VIIRS 11.450 µm IR image

The corresponding 4-km resolution GOES-13 (GOES-East) 10.7 µm IR image (below) showed much less structure to the cloud top temperature field, with the coldest IR brightness temperature being -70º C.

GOES-13 10.7 µm IR image

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POES AVHRR 12.0 µm IR images + surface reports

Unusually cold conditions were seen across the North Slope region of Alaska during the 22 January – 24 January 2012 period. A sequence of AWIPS images of 1-km resolution POES AVHRR 12.0 µm IR channel data (above) showed the expansion of a large area of surface IR brightness temperatures of -50 C and colder (violet to white color enhancement) across the interior portions of the North Slope. Nuiqsut (station identifier PAQT) was as cold as -62 F (-52 C) on 24 January, and Barrow (station identifier PABR) reached a low temperature of -45 F (-43 C) on 23 January (the record low temperature for the date was -47 F, and the normal low for the date is -20 F).

Another feature of interest over the Arctic Ocean was the appearance of a number of what resembled “warm cracks”  in the sea ice, where IR brightness temperatures were -30 C or warmer (yellow color enhancement) — significant amounts of thermal energy from the warmer waters below were able to “bleed up” through weaknesses and thinner areas of the sea ice, showing up as warm anomalies on the IR imagery.

A Public Information Statement was issued by the National Weather Service forecast office at Fairbanks:

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
700 PM AKST TUE JAN 24 2012

…SEVERE COLD CONTINUES OVER THE NORTH SLOPE OF ALASKA…

A VERY COLD AIR MASS CONTINUES OVER THE NORTH SLOPE…COMBINED
WITH WINDS IN SOME AREAS. HERE ARE SOME LOW TEMPERATURES RECORDED SO FAR TODAY ACROSS THE NORTH SLOPE OF ALASKA.

NUIQSUT……………..62 BELOW
UMIAT……………….59 BELOW
INIGOK………………54 BELOW
ALPINE………………53 BELOW
ATQASUK……………..48 BELOW
DEADHORSE……………47 BELOW
WAINRIGHT……………44 BELOW
KAKTOVIK…………….40 BELOW
BARROW………………39 BELOW

TEMPERATURES OVER THE NORTH SLOPE WILL REMAIN IN THE 40S AND 50S BELOW WITH POCKETS NEAR 60 BELOW FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS…AND POTENTIALLY INTO THE WEEKEND.

$$

JM

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GOES-13 10.7 µm IR channel images + severe weather reports (click image to play animation)

A major outbreak of severe thunderstorms along a strong cold frontal boundary swept eastward across much of the southeastern US on 22 January – 23 January 2012, producing widespread damaging winds, large hail, and tornadoes (SPC storm reports). Two tornadoes produced EF-3 damage in Alabama. AWIPS images of 4-km resolution GOES-13 10.7 µm IR channel data with overlays of severe weather reports (above; click image to play animation) showed the cold cloud top IR brightness temperatures of -60 to -70 C (red to black color enhancement) associated with some of the strongest storms. For more information, see summaries from the National Weather Service forecast offices at Litttle Rock AR, Jackson MS, and Birmingham AL.

POES AVHRR 12.0 µm and MODIS 11.0 µm IR images

A sequence of 1-km resolution POES AVHRR 12.0 µm IR and MODIS 11.0 µm IR images (above) displayed greater detail in the storm top thermal structures, with a number of  -70 to -80 C (black to light gray color enhancement) IR brightness temperature values seen on the higher resolution imagery.

Of particular interest was what appeared to be some sort of “cloud trench” oriented from north to south across Tennessee around 08:00 UTC, which exhibited significantly warmer MODIS 11.0 µm IR brightness temperatures and a warmer/drier signal on the corresponding MODIS 6.7 µm water vapor image (below). This feature was also apparent on a few of the 4-km resolution GOES-13 IR images around that time. The etiology of this satellite signature is unclear at this time.

MODIS 11.0 µm IR channel and 6.7 µm water vapor channel images

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