{"id":35635,"date":"2020-02-12T21:32:05","date_gmt":"2020-02-12T21:32:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/?p=35635"},"modified":"2020-11-28T21:27:32","modified_gmt":"2020-11-28T21:27:32","slug":"ground-blizzard-in-north-dakota-and-minnesota","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/archives\/35635","title":{"rendered":"Ground blizzard in North Dakota and Minnesota"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"GOES-16<\/a>

GOES-16 Air Mass RGB images, with surface fronts plotted in cyan and NAM80 model 500 hPa geopotential height plotted in yellow [click to play animation | MP4<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p><\/div>GOES-16 (GOES-East)<\/em> Air Mass RGB<\/strong><\/a> images (above)<\/strong><\/em> displayed the characteristic pale yellow hues associated with cold arctic air that was moving southward behind a deep area of low pressure centered over Hudson Bay and northern Quebec, Canada on 12 February 2020<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

A sequence of GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 \u00b5m<\/strong><\/a>), Near-Infrared “Snow\/Ice” (1.61 \u00b5m<\/strong><\/a>) and Day Snow-Fog RGB<\/strong><\/a> images (below)<\/strong><\/em> revealed north-to-south oriented horizontal convective rolls that highlighted areas where blowing snow was creating ground blizzard conditions across the Red River Valley of North Dakota\/Minnesota (the strongest winds were being channeled southward through the lower terrain<\/strong><\/a> of the RRV).\u00a0 The surface visibility was reduced to near zero in rural areas — and in eastern North Dakota, Interstate 29 was closed from the Canadian border to the South Dakota border. Toward the end of the day, conditions slowly began to improve in the northern portion of the Red River Valley — from Grand Forks (KGFK) northward — as surface winds decreased, horizontal convective rolls dissipated, and visibility started to increase. More information on this event is available from NWS Grand Forks<\/a><\/strong> and the Satellite Liaison Blog<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"GOES-16<\/a>

GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 \u00b5m),<\/em> Near-Infrared “Snow\/Ice” (1.61 \u00b5m)<\/em> and Day Snow-Fog RGB images, with plots of surface reports [click to play animation | MP4<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n
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High res view of the ground blizzard over Fargo ND on Feb 12 as viewed by Sentinel-2’s 10 meter resolution (30ft!).<\/p>\n

Notice tightly packed horizontal convective rolls organize blowing snow plumes (white) right over Fargo. Processed w\/ @sentinel_hub<\/a> @CopernicusEU<\/a> #ndwx<\/a> #mnwx<\/a> #blsn<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/GwynOZITrh<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Carl Jones (@northflwx) February 13, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n