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Articles by Scott Bachmeier
GOES-19 GLM signature of a bolide over eastern Massachusetts
GOES-19 GLM signature of a bolide over eastern Massachusetts GOES-19 Visible image at 1806 UTC, with an overlay of 1-minute GOES-19 GLM Flash Extent Density and GLM Flash Points from 1806-1808 UTC on 30 May [click to enlarge] A CONUS Sector GOES-19 (GOES-East) Visible image with overlays of 1-minute GLM Flash Extent Density and GLM Flash Points (above) showed the signature of a high-altitude bolide that was entering the Earth’s mesosphere over far eastern Massachusetts at 1807 UTC on 30 May...
Powerful Nor’easter affects the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast US
Powerful Nor’easter affects the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast US 5-minute GOES-19 Mid-level Water Vapor images (with 3-hourly analyses of Surface Pressure and Surface Fronts) from 1001 UTC on 22 February to 0201 UTC on 24 February [click to play MP4 animation] 5-minute CONUS Sector GOES-19 (GOES-East) Mid-level Water Vapor images (above) showed the evolution of a large and intense Nor’easter that produced as much as 37.9 inches of snowfall in Rhode Island (a preliminary State record) and wind...
Major January winter storm affects much of the southern and eastern US
Major January winter storm affects much of the southern and eastern US 5-minute GOES-19 Mid-level Water Vapor (6.9 µm) imagery with hourly plots of surface weather type (red), from 0601 UTC on 23 January to 0001 UTC on 27 January [click to play animated GIF | MP4] 5-minute CONUS Sector GOES-19 (GOES-East) Water Vapor images (above) included hourly plots of surface weather type (R=rain, S=snow, ZR=freezing rain, L=drizzle, F=fog) during the 4-day period (23 January – 26 January 2026) that a...
Wildfires in British Columbia
Wildfires in British Columbia 10-minute Full Disk sector GOES-18 (GOES-West) Day Land Cloud Fire RGB, Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm), “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm) and “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) + Fire Power derived product (a component of the GOES Fire Detection and Characterization Algorithm FDCA) images (above) showed signatures of multiple wildfires across northeastern British Columbia on 10 May 2024 — including the Parker Lake Fire located NW of Fort Nelson (CYYE), which forced the...
Cyclone Hidaya reaches Category 1 Hurricane intensity
Cyclone Hidaya reaches Category 1 Hurricane intensity EUMETSAT Meteosat-9 Infrared Window (10.8 µm) images (above) showed Cyclone Hidaya as it intensified from a Tropical Storm (at 1200 UTC on 02 May) to Category 1 Hurricane intensity at 0000 UTC on 03 May 2024 (advisory | discussion). JTWC later noted that Hidaya had become the most intense tropical cyclone on record for this region, peaking at 80 kt (discussion).
Another explosive eruption of Mount Ruang in Indonesia
Another explosive eruption of Mount Ruang in Indonesia 12 days after its powerful eruption on 17 April, 10-minute JMA Himawari-9 AHI Infrared Window (10.4 µm) images (above) showed another explosive eruption of Mount Ruang in Indonesia on 29 April 2024. The coldest cloud-top infrared brightness temperatures reached -90ºC (internal yellow pixels) at 1850 UTC, shortly after eruption onset. Note that the volcanic umbrella cloud exhibited concentric cloud-top gravity waves from about 1900-2100 UTC.
50th Anniversary of the 1974 Super Outbreak
50th Anniversary of the 1974 Super Outbreak The 3-4 April 1974 Super Outbreak (NWS Wilmington OH | Wikipedia | StoryMap | Interacive WebMap | Monthly Weather Review) was one of the largest and most deadly tornado outbreaks on record in the United States. The University of Wisconsin-Madison Space Science and Engineering Center (UW/SSEC) recently digitized over 66,000 Applications Technology Satellite (ATS)-1 and -3 images from the late 1960s to early 1970s.
64th anniversary of the first image from a meteorological satellite
64th anniversary of the first image from a meteorological satellite Today marks the 64th anniversary of the first image from the meteorological satellite TIROS-1, which was available on 01 April 1960. While TIROS-1 was only operational for 78 days, it provided a number of images of the Earth and cloud systems (including the first image of a tropical cyclone, over the South Pacific Ocean on 10 April 1960).
United Airlines Flight 85 diverted after encountering severe turbulence (which injured 22 passengers)
United Airlines Flight 85 diverted after encountering severe turbulence (which injured 22 passengers) United Airlines Flight 85 (UAL85) encountered severe turbulence as it was on approach to landing at Newark Liberty International Airport (KEWR) — which injured 22 passengers, with 7 of those being transported to a hospital (media report 1 | media report 2) late in the day on 29 March 2024.
SpaceX Starship Test Flight 3
SpaceX Starship Test Flight 3 1-minute Mesoscale Domain Sector GOES-16 (GOES-East) images from all 16 of the ABI spectral bands plus a Rocket Plume RGB (above) displayed signatures of the SpaceX Starship 3 rocket that was launched from the Starbase facility in Boca Chica Beach, Texas at 1325 UTC on 14 March 2024.
Wind-driven grass fires in Nebraska
Wind-driven grass fires in Nebraska 5-minute CONUS Sector GOES-16 (GOES-East) True Color RGB images + Nighttime Microphysics RGB images from the site (above) showed the smoke plumes produced by 2 wind-driven grass fires in central Nebraska (just north of North Platte) on 26 February 2024. The burn scar associated with the larger (southernmost) fire was also apparent, as a west-to-east oriented swath of darker brown shades.
Tropical Storm Akara develops off the southeast coast of Brazil
Tropical Storm Akara develops off the southeast coast of Brazil GOES-16 True Color RGB images from the site (above) showed multiple mesoscale vortices embedded within the exposed Low-Level Circulation Center (LLCC) of a Tropical Depression off the southeast coast of Brazil on 18 February 2024.
Hurricane Force Low in the Gulf of Alaska
Hurricane Force Low in the Gulf of Alaska 10-minute Full Disk scan GOES-18 Air Mass RGB images (above) showed a cyclone as it intensified to a Hurricane Force Low by 0000 UTC on 24 December 2023 as it moved north across the Gulf of Alaska (suface analyses).
Cyclone Jasper in the Coral Sea
Cyclone Jasper in the Coral Sea Target Sector (2.5-minute interval) JMA Himawari-9 AHI Clean Infrared Window (10.4 µm) images (above) showed the gradual development of a ragged eye with Cyclone Jasper as the storm moved southward across the Coral Sea on 07 December 2023. Intermittent convective bursts within the eyewall contained a few overshooting tops that exhibited infrared brightness temperatures around -90ºC (yellow pixels embedded within dark purple areas).
Resuspended volcanic ash from the 1912 Novarupta-Katmai eruption in Alaska
Resuspended volcanic ash from the 1912 Novarupta-Katmai eruption in Alaska 1-minute Mesoscale Domain Sector GOES-18 (GOES-West) daytime True Color RGB + Nighttime Microphysics RGB images from the site (above) showed a plume of resuspended volcanic ash (hazy shades of gray in True Color RGB, and brighter shades of pink in Nighttime Microphysics RGB) from the 1912 Novarupta-Katmai eruption in Alaska, which was being transported offshore across the Shelikof Strait toward Kodiak Island on 11...
Annular solar eclipse shadow
Annular solar eclipse shadow 10-minute Full Disk GOES-16 (GOES-East) CIMSS Natural True Color RGB images created using Geo2Grid (above) showed the 2023 Annular Solar Eclipse shadow as it progressed southeastward from the Pacific Northwest to Brazil on 14 October 2023. GOES-16 Near-Infrared “Vegetation” (0.86 µm) images — in the native projection of the GOES-16 satellite (below) — provided another view of the eclipse shadow path.
Super Typhoon Bolaven reaches Category 5 intensity
Super Typhoon Bolaven reaches Category 5 intensity Target Sector (2.5-minute interval) JMA Himawari-9 AHI Red Visible (0.64 µm) images (above) and Clean Infrared Window (10.4 µm) mages (below) showed Super Typhoon Bolaven as it reached Category 5 intensity west of the Northern Mariana Islands at 0000 UTC (SATCON) on 11 October 2023. Bolaven was an annular tropical cyclone, exhibiting a symmetric eye surrounded by a wide ring of dense and cold deep convection.
Storm Daniel moves inland across northeastern Libya
Storm Daniel moves inland across northeastern Libya Daytime EUMETSAT Meteosat-10 High Resolution Visible (0.8 µm) images (above) showed Storm Daniel as it developed into a Medicane over the southern Mediterranean Sea on 09 September (with convective bands wrapping around the storm center), then moved inland across northeastern Libya on 10 September 2023.
Wildfires on the island of Maui in Hawai`i
Wildfires on the island of Maui in Hawai`i GOES-18 (GOES-West) Day Land Cloud Fire RGB, Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm), Fire Temperature RGB and “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images with an overlay of the Fire Power derived product (a component of the GOES Fire Detection and Characterization Algorithm FDCA) (above) showed signatures associated with wildfires on the island of Maui in Hawai`i late in the day on 08 August 2023 — particularly near Lahaina, where a large wildfire caused extensive damage...
Supercell thunderstorm produces giant hail and 100 mph winds in South Dakota
Supercell thunderstorm produces giant hail and 100 mph winds in South Dakota 1-minute Mesoscale Domain Sector GOES-16 (GOES-East) “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images (above) showed a supercell thunderstorm that produced a tornado, hail as large as 5.00 inches in diameter and wind gusts to 100 mph (SPC Storm Reports | NWS Aberdeen summary) in central South Dakota during the late afternoon and early evening hours on 18 July 2023.
Another explosive eruption of Mount Shishaldin
Another explosive eruption of Mount Shishaldin Following the eruption on 14 July, another explosive eruption of Mount Shishaldin began just before 0530 UTC on 16 July 2023 — radiometrically-retrieved GOES-18 (GOES-West) Ash Loading (above) and Ash Height (below) products from the NOAA/CIMSS Volcanic Cloud Monitoring site indicated moderate to high amounts of ash loading, existing at heights within the 4-10 km range during the 2.5 hour period following eruption onset.
Severe thundstorms across Indiana
Severe thundstorms across Indiana 1-minute Mesoscale Domain Sector GOES-16 (GOES-East) “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) and “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm) images (above) include time-matched plots of Local Storm Reports — which showed thunderstorms that produced several tornadoes, hail to 4.00 inches in diameter and wind gusts to 70 mph (SPC Storm Reports) along with some heavy rainfall and flooding across much of Indiana (and parts of adjacent states) on 25 June 2023.
Super Typhoon Mawar reaches Category 5 intensity
Super Typhoon Mawar reaches Category 5 intensity Target Sector (2.5-minute interval) JMA Himawari-9 Visible and Infrared images (above) covered the period +/- 2 hours when Super Typhoon Mawar reached Category 5 intensity at 0600 UTC on 25 May 2023. Mesovortices within the eye were evident in Visible imagery, with the eye exhibiting a “stadium effect” geometry (two signatures that are often associated with intense tropical cyclones).
British Columbia wildfire produces a pyrocumulonimbus cloud
British Columbia wildfire produces a pyrocumulonimbus cloud GOES-18 (GOES-West) “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 µm) images (above) showed the formation of a pyrocumulonimbus (pyroCb) cloud — produced by a wildfire southwest of Fort Nelson, British Columbia (station identifier CYYE) — around 2340 UTC on 19 May 2023. Cloud-top infrared brightness temperatures reached -61ºC as the pyroCb cloud drifted eastward across Alberta.
Eruption of Shiveluch on the Kamchatka Peninsula
Eruption of Shiveluch on the Kamchatka Peninsula JMA Himawari-9 Ash RGB images created using Geo2Grid (above) showed a complex volcanic cloud resulting from an eruption of Shiveluch that began just after 1300 UTC on 10 April 2023.
Eruption of Bezymianny on Kamchatka
Eruption of Bezymianny on Kamchatka JMA Himawari-9 Ash RGB images created using Geo2Grid (above) showed the volcanic plume — which included a violent eruptive pulse that began at 0540 UTC — from Bezymianny on the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia during 06-07 April 2023. Signatures of ash (shades of pink to violet) were evident, along with the signature of SO2 (brighter shades of yellow) associated with the violent eruptive pulse.
49th anniversary of the 1974 Super Outbreak
49th anniversary of the 1974 Super Outbreak The 3-4 April 1974 Super Outbreak (NWS Wilmington OH | Wikipedia | Interacive WebMap | Monthly Weather Review) was one of the largest and most deadly tornado outbreaks on record in the United States. Several images from the ATS-3 satellite are shown below (thanks to the work of SSEC Satelite Data Services and Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences Library staff!).
Blowing dust across Mongolia and China
Blowing dust across Mongolia and China JMA Himawari-9 Dust RGB images created using Geo2Grid (above) spanned the period from 2100 UTC on 20 March to 2350 UTC on 22 March 2023 — and showed a large area of dense blowing dust (brighter shades of magenta to pink) across parts of eastern Mongolia and northern/northeastern China (eventually crossing the China/Russia border).
Satellite signatures of the NASA/SpaceX Crew-6 launch
Satellite signatures of the NASA/SpaceX Crew-6 launch Overlapping 1-minute Mesoscale Domain Sectors provided GOES-16 (GOES-East) images at 30-second intervals from all 16 of the ABI spectral bands (above), which displayed the northeast-moving warm thermal signature of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket booster as the Crew-6 Mission was launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 0534 UTC (12:34 AM EST) on 02 March 2023.
Blowing dust in New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma
Blowing dust in New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma GOES-16 (GOES-East) “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images (above) showed strong southwesterly winds ahead of an approaching cold front, causing areas of blowing dust across parts of New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma on 22 February 2023. Strongest wind gusts were in the 60-70 mph range, and blowing dust was reducing the surface visibility to 1.5 miles at some sites.
Cyclone Freddy reaches Category 4 intensity
Cyclone Freddy reaches Category 4 intensity JMA Himawari-9 Infrared Window (10.4 µm) images (above) showed Cyclone Freddy in the South Indian Ocean as it was rapidly intensifying from a Category 1 to a Category 3 storm by 12 UTC on 11 February 2023 (JTWC discussion), eventually presenting a ragged eye for several hours — then briefly reaching intensity at 00 UTC on 12 February (SATCON | JTWC discussion).
Rapidly intensifying midlatitude cyclone off the US East Coast
Rapidly intensifying midlatitude cyclone off the US East Coast GOES-16 (GOES-East) Air Mass RGB images (above) included contours of RAP40 model PV 1.5 Pressure — and showed a Hurricane Force low pressure that had rapidly intensified as it moved northeastward off the US East Coast (surface analyses) on 06 February 2023. The PV 1.5 surface (which represents the dynamic tropopause) descended to the 500 hPa pressure level at 2200 UTC.
CIMSS Satellite Blog
There GOES a Review of 2022 It’s very hard to choose just one event from every month of the year, but the goal is to show the range of phenomena and locations that NOAA‘s GOES ABI routinely monitors, in this case during 2022. Most loops generated are from the University of Wisconsin-Madison CIMSS Satellite Blog, which...
Severe turbulence injures passengers near Hawai`i
Severe turbulence injures passengers near Hawai`i On 18 December 2022, Hawaiian Airlines Flight 35 (from Phoenix to Honolulu) encountered severe turbulence about 30 minutes prior to landing, which injured 36 passengers and crew (media report) — GOES-17 (GOES-West) Upper-level Water Vapor (6.2 µm) images (above) include contours of Moderate Or Greater (MOG) Turbulence Probability and Pilot Report (PIREP) plots of turbulence (source); the report of severe turbulence reportedly occurred at 2016...
Category 5 Hurricane Michael makes landfall along the Florida coast
A sequence of Infrared Window images from Terra/Aqua MODIS (11.0 µm) and NOAA-20/Suomi NPP VIIRS (11.45 µm) (above) showed Category 4 Hurricane Michael as it was making its approach toward the Florida coast during the nighttime hours preceding sunrise on 10 October 2018. The yellow pixels east of the eye on the 0724 UTC VIIRS image highlighted cloud-top infrared brightness temperatures of -90ºC and colder (with a minimum of -92ºC).
Ex-typhoon Merbok enters the Bering Sea
GOES-17 (GOES-West) Air Mass RGB images with hourly plots of surface reports (above) showed the remnants of ex-Typhoon Merbok (storm track) moving northward across the Bering Sea (surface analyses) on 16 September 2022.
Hurricane Ida develops an eye over the Gulf of Mexico, as intensification continues until landfall
1-–minute Mesoscale Domain Sector GOES-16 (GOES-East) “Red” Visible (0.64 µm)and “Clean” Infrared Window (10.35 µm) images (above) showed that Hurricane Ida gradually developed an eye, as the Category 1 storm intensified to Category 2 by 1800 UTC on 28 August 2021. Microwave (85 GHz) images from DMSP-17 (above) and DMSP-16 (below) — from the CIMSS Tropical Cyclones site — provided 2 views of the eye and eyewall structure at 1235 UTC and 2205 UTC, respectively.
Hurricane Harvey makes landfall
Hurricane Harvey makes landfall * GOES-16 data posted on this page are preliminary, non-operational and are undergoing testing * As Harvey moved across warm waters in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico (SST | OHC), it continued to intensify (ADT | SATCON) to a Category 4 hurricane just before making landfall along the Texas coast around 03 UTC on 26 August 2017 (10 pm local time on 25 August).
CIMSS Satellite Blog
* GOES-17 images shown here are preliminary and non-operational * GOES-17 Low-level (7.3 µm), Mid-level (6.9 µm) and Upper-level (6.2 µm) Water Vapor images (above) revealed the diurnal cycle of warming and cooling of the summits of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on the Big Island of Hawai’i on 21 November 2018. There was even a subtle warming signature of the higher terrain of Maui on 7.3 µm and 6.9 µm imagery.
Kármán vortex streets and an actinoform cloud feature off the coast of Chile
Actinoform cloud in the East Pacific GOES-17 (GOES-West) True Color RGB images created using Geo2Grid (above) showed a cyclonically-rotating actinoform cloud feature that was moving west-southwestward across the East Pacific Ocean (about midway between Hawai’i and California) on 16 November 2021.In GOES-17 Day Cloud Phase Distinction RGB images (below), the increasing shades of green exhibited by the curved bands of... Read More
Record rainfall and flash flooding in St. Louis
GOES-16 (GOES-East) “Clean” Infrared Window images (above) showed the development of an elongated cluster of training thunderstorms that was responsible for producing record rainfall and flash flooding in the St. Louis, Missouri area on 26 July 2022. The coldest cloud-top infrared brightness temperatures were around -75 C. A Suomi-NPP VIIRS Infrared Window image valid at 0802 UTC image displayed a large Mesoscale Convective System as it was beginning to move away from the St. Louis (KSTL) area.
CIMSS Satellite Blog
Tropical Storm Alex June 5th, 2022 | Scott Bachmeier 1-minute Mesoscale Domain Sector GOES-16 (GOES-East) “Clean” Infrared Window (10.35 µm) and “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images (above) showed Tropical Storm Alex after it reached tropical storm intensity at 0900 UTC on 05 June 2022. Overshooting tops within the deep convection exhibited infrared brightness temperatures of -80ºC or colder (shades of violet).
Reflection of sunlight from the Topaz Solar Farm in southern California
1-minute Mesoscale Domain Sector GOES-17 (GOES-West) “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images (above) revealed a bright reflection of sunlight off the large arrays of solar panels at Topaz Solar Farm in southern California (Google maps) — located between Black Mountain and California Valley — on 12 June 2019. Of particular interest are the vertical “stripes” emanating from the bright reflection signature in the 0.64 µm images, extending both northward and southward from the solar farm.
Potential Vorticity anomaly vortex over Texas and Louisiana
Potential Vorticity anomaly vortex over Texas and Louisiana March 24th, 2022 | Scott Bachmeier GOES-16 Mid-level Water Vapor (6.9 µm) images, with contours of RAP40 model PV1.5 Pressure plotted in red and Pilot Reports of Turbulence plotted in yellow/cyan [click to play animated GIF | MP4] GOES-16 (GOES-East) Mid-level Water Vapor (6.9 µm) images (above) displayed an isolated vortex of very dry air moving over Texas and Louisiana on 24 March 2022.
Wildfires in the Florida Panhandle
Wildfires in the Florida Panhandle March 7th, 2022 | Scott Bachmeier GOES-16 Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm, top left), Fire Temperature RGB (top right), Fire Temperature (bottom left) and Fire Power (bottom right) products [click to play animated GIF | MP4] GOES-16 (GOES-East) Shortwave Infrared (3.9 µm), Fire Temperature RGB.
Cyclone Batsirai reaches Category 4 intensity
Cyclone Batsirai reaches Category 4 intensity February 3rd, 2022 | Scott Bachmeier EWS-G1 Infrared Window (10.7 µm) images [click to play animated GIF | MP4] US Space Force EWS-G1 (formerly GOES-13) Infrared Window (10.7 µm) images (above) showed Cyclone Batsirai in the South Indian Ocean — just north of the island nations of Mauritius and Réunion — during the time period it was classified as a Category 4 intensity storm (00 UTC on 02 February to 15 UTC on 03 February 2022).
Satellite signatures of the SpaceX/NASA Crew-3 launch
Satellite signatures of the SpaceX/NASA Crew-3 launch November 10th, 2021 | Scott Bachmeier GOES-16 ABI spectral bands 1-16 [click to play animated GIF | MP4] On 10 November 2021, SpaceX and NASA launched the Crew-3 mission to the International Space Station from Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7:03 pm EDT (0203 UTC on 11 November).
A look back at “Hurricane Huron” in 1996
A look back at “Hurricane Huron” in 1996 September 14th, 2018 | Scott Bachmeier GOES-8 Visible (0.65 µm) images, with hourly surface wind barbs and gusts [click to play animation | MP4] GOES-8 Visible (0.65 µm) images (above) showed the cloud features — including spiral banding and a cloud-free core resembling an eye — associated with a deepening area of low pressure over Lake Huron (surface analyses) on 14 September 1996.
Cyclone Shaheen-Gulab makes landfall in Oman
Cyclone Shaheen-Gulab makes landfall in Oman October 3rd, 2021 | Scott Bachmeier US Space Force EWS-G1 Infrared Window (10.7 µm) images [click to play animation | MP4] US Space Force EWS-G1 (formerly GOES-13) Infrared Window (10.7 µm) images (above) showed Hurricane Shaheen-Gulab weakening to a Tropical Storm as it made landfall along the coast of Oman on 03 October 2021. The storm exhibited an eye at times as it was a Category 1 Hurricane over the Gulf of Oman.
30-year anniversary of the landfall of Hurricane Hugo
30-year anniversary of the landfall of Hurricane Hugo September 22nd, 2019 | Scott Bachmeier GOES-7 Infrared Window (11.25 µm) images [click to play animation | MP4] GOES-7 Infrared Window (11.25 µm) images (above) showed Hurricane Hugo as it made landfall as a Category 4 storm around 04 UTC on 22 September 1989. This GOES-7 data was accessed from the SSEC Satellite Data Services archive.
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