4 January 2018 explosive cyclogenesis event

GOES-16 imagery captured the spectacular explosive cyclogenesis event on the eastern seaboard on 4 January.  First, we’ll look at the 3 GOES-16 water vapor channels along with the air mass RGB product:

http://rammb.cira.colostate.edu/templates/loop_directory.asp?data_folder=training/visit/loops/4jan18/4panel_wv&loop_speed_ms=60

During this loop we see an instant occlusion type of cyclogenesis.  We also see the development of a sting jet, annotated on the 0852 UTC image:

Next, we’ll look at 1-minute imagery of the visible band (0.64 um), Day Cloud Phase Distinction RGB product, IR (10.3 um) and True Color RGB (only available at 5 minute intervals):

http://rammb.cira.colostate.edu/templates/loop_directory.asp?data_folder=training/visit/loops/4jan18/4panel_vis&loop_speed_ms=30

The loop is zoomed in over the surface low.  The Day Cloud Phase Distinction product adds additional value in terms of variable cloud heights, with colder clouds being glaciated which shows up from the 1.6 um band contribution and even colder clouds from the 10.3 um band contribution.