![](\"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/images\/2022\/10\/221012_goes16_waterVapor_WI_warnings_storm_reports_anim.gif\")
<\/a>GOES-16 Mid-level Water Vapor (6.9 \u00b5m) images with plots of NWS Warning Polygons, Local Storm Reports and Surface Fronts [click to play animated GIF | MP4<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p><\/div>GOES-16 (GOES-East)<\/em> Mid-level Water Vapor (6.9 \u00b5m<\/strong><\/a>) images shown above were centered over southeast Wisconsin during a period when tornadoes and damaging winds (NWS Milwaukee summary<\/strong><\/a>) occurred on 12 October 2022<\/strong><\/a>. Of note in the Water Vapor imagery was a narrow southwest-to-northeast oriented “warm\/dry” (darker shades of blue) feature that appeared to align with the progression of the surface cold front — and many of the tornado and damaging wind reports also occurred in close proximity to the location of this Water Vapor feature as it moved southeastward across the area.<\/p>\n The corresponding GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 \u00b5m<\/strong><\/a>) images (below)<\/strong><\/em> include overlays of GLM<\/strong><\/a> Flash Extent Density — no satellite-detected lightning activity was seen in this area during the time of the tornado and damaging wind reports.<\/p>\n GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 \u00b5m) images, with overlays of GLM Flash Extent Density [click to play animated GIF | MP4<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p><\/div>GOES-16 “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 \u00b5m<\/strong><\/a>) images (<\/strong>below)<\/strong><\/em> revealed that cloud-top infrared brightness temperatures were not particularly cold in the vicinity of the tornado and wind reports — generally within the -25 to -30\u00baC range.<\/p>\n GOES-16 “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 \u00b5m) images [click to play animated GIF | MP4<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p><\/div>In fact, the GOES-16 Cloud Top Phase<\/strong><\/a> derived product (below)<\/strong><\/em> classified most of the clouds near the tornado\/wind reports as Mixed Phase (darker shades of green), since they were not cold enough to ensure complete glaciation.<\/p>\n GOES-16 Cloud Top Phase derived product [click to play animated GIF | MP4<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p><\/div>Given that these were relatively warm and mostly non-glaciated clouds, GOES-16 Cloud Top Height<\/strong><\/a> values near the storm reports were generally fairly low, in the 22,000-26,000 feet range (below)<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n GOES-16 Cloud Top Height derived product [click to play animated GIF | MP4<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p><\/div>Finally, GOES-16 Day Cloud Phase Distinction<\/strong><\/a> RGB images (below)<\/strong><\/em> did not display a strong signature of fully-glaciated clouds (darker shades of green) in the direct vicinity of most of the tornado and damaging wind reports.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>