{"id":30610,"date":"2018-11-08T23:59:53","date_gmt":"2018-11-08T23:59:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/?p=30610"},"modified":"2019-05-16T01:42:52","modified_gmt":"2019-05-16T01:42:52","slug":"camp-fire-in-california","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/archives\/30610","title":{"rendered":"Camp Fire in northern California"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"GOES-16<\/a>

GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 \u00b5m, top left),<\/em> Shortwave Infrared (3.9 \u00b5m, top right)<\/em>, “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 \u00b5m, bottom left)<\/em> and Fire Temperature (bottom right)<\/em> [click to play animation | MP4<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p><\/div>The Camp Fire<\/strong><\/a> started around 1433 UTC or 6:33 AM local time on 08 November 2018<\/strong><\/a> in Northern California; the rapid spread of the fire prompted evacuations and forced road closures. GOES-16 (GOES-East)<\/em> GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 \u00b5m<\/strong><\/a>), Shortwave Infrared (3.9 \u00b5m<\/strong><\/a>), “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 \u00b5m<\/strong><\/a>) and Fire Temperature<\/strong><\/a> (above)<\/strong><\/em> showed the initial evolution of the fire at 5-minute intervals — especially noteworthy were (1) the rapid vertical jump of the smoke column at 1547 UTC<\/strong><\/a>, which cast a long shadow to the northwest,<\/em> and (2) Fire Temperature values that exceeded 2000 K (bright red pixels)<\/em> at numerous times, with a maximum value just over 2300 K.<\/p>\n

A GOES-16 Mesoscale Domain Sector<\/strong><\/a> was positioned over California beginning at 2115 UTC, providing imagery at 1-minute intervals — a comparison of Visible and Shortwave Infrared images (below)<\/strong><\/em> showed how quickly the hot thermal signature of the fire (yellow to red<\/em> enhancement)<\/em> advanced southwestward during the remaining 3 hours of daylight. Just northwest of the fire, Chico (station identifier KCIC<\/strong><\/a>) reported very low relative humidity values (6% at 21 UTC), as seen by the large spread between temperature and dewpoint late in the day.<\/p>\n

\"GOES-16<\/a>

GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 \u00b5m, left)<\/em> and Shortwave Infrared (3.9 \u00b5m, right)<\/em> images [click to play MP4 animation]<\/p><\/div>1-km resolution NOAA-18 AVHRR Visible (0.64 \u00b5m), Near-Infrared “Vegetation” (0.86 \u00b5m), Shortwave Infrared (3.7 \u00b5m) and Infrared Window (10.8 \u00b5m) images (below)<\/strong><\/em> showed the bifurcation of the smoke plume as well as the large, very hot thermal signature of the fire at 1712 UTC or 9:12 AM local time.<\/p>\n

\"NOAA-18<\/a>

NOAA-18 AVHRR Visible (0.64 \u00b5m),<\/em> Near-Infrared “Vegetation” (0.86 \u00b5m),<\/em> Shortwave Infrared (3.7 \u00b5m)<\/em> and Infrared Window (10.8 \u00b5m)<\/em> images [click to enlarge]<\/p><\/div>

\"NOAA-20<\/a>

NOAA-20 VIIRS Visible (0.64 \u00b5m)<\/em>, Near-Infrared “Snow\/Ice” (1.61 \u00b5m)<\/em> and Infrared Window (11.45 \u00b5m)<\/em> images [click to enlarge]<\/p><\/div>Higher spatial resolution views were provided by NOAA-20 VIIRS Visible (0.64 \u00b5m), Near-Infrared “Snow\/Ice” (1.61 \u00b5m) and Infrared Window (11.45 \u00b5m) images (above)<\/strong><\/em> and by Aqua MODIS Visible (0.65 \u00b5m), Near-Infrared “Snow\/Ice” (1.61 \u00b5m) and Infrared Window (11.0 \u00b5m) images (below)<\/strong><\/em>. [Note: the NOAA-20 VIIRS images are incorrectly labeled as Suomi NPP]<\/p>\n

\"Aqua<\/a>

Aqua MODIS Visible (0.65 \u00b5m),<\/em> Near-Infrared “Snow\/Ice” (1.61 \u00b5m)<\/em> and Infrared Window (11.0 \u00b5m)<\/em> images [click to enlarge]<\/p><\/div>Alternative views of the NOAA-20 VIIRS and Aqua MODIS images are shown below (using legacy AWIPS-1).They include Shortwave Infrared images from the 2 satellites, which reveal the very large (approximately 10 miles in length)<\/em> thermal anomaly or fire “hot spot”. Due to the very dry atmosphere over the region (MODIS 6.7 \u00b5m Water Vapor image<\/strong><\/a>), the smoke could be clearly seen on the MODIS 1.37 \u00b5m Cirrus image (since there was very little attenuation of upwelling 1.37 \u00b5m radiation by middle\/upper-tropospheric water vapor).<\/p>\n

\"NOAA-20<\/a>

NOAA-20 Visible (0.64 \u00b5m),<\/em> Day\/Night Band (0.7 \u00b5m),<\/em> Near-Infrared “Snow\/Ice” (1.61 \u00b5m),<\/em> Shortwave Infrared (3.74 \u00b5m)<\/em> and Infrared Window (11.45 \u00b5m)<\/em> images [click to enlarge]<\/p><\/div>

\"Aqua<\/a>

Aqua MODIS Visible (0.65 \u00b5m),<\/em> Near-Infrared “Cirrus” (1.37 \u00b5m),<\/em> Near-Infrared “Snow\/Ice” (1.61 \u00b5m),<\/em> Shortwave Infrared (3.7 \u00b5m)<\/em> and Infrared Window (11.0 \u00b5m)<\/em> images [click to enlarge]<\/p><\/div>As a result of the unusual dryness air mass across the region, the 00 UTC Oakland sounding<\/a><\/strong> set a record low Total Precipitable Water value for the date (3 mm or 0.12 inch):<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Record dry airmass over our region today. The 00Z Oakland Sounding from this afternoon reported a precipitable water value of only 0.12″. This is well below the record for the date of 0.24″ and one of the all-time driest soundings at Oakland in more than 60 years. #CAwx<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Ohtg5mvsQO<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NWS Bay Area (@NWSBayArea) November 9, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n