VISIT: Meteorological Interpretation Blog

This blog entry consists of a youtube video (8 minutes in length): http://youtu.be/36lR8Y7xvOw After viewing the video, compare the GOES-14 RSO visible loop that would’ve been as seen on AWIPS: http://rammb.cira.colostate.edu/templates/loop_directory.asp?data_folder=training/visit/loops/20may14_rso&number_of_images_to_display=20 with the SRSOR loop over the same time period (1940 – 2040 UTC) – this is a 194 frame loop so be patient for Continue Reading

This blog entry is available in 2 formats: 1) Youtube video (25 minutes):  http://youtu.be/H6jMoT3sGiw 2) Web format (below): GOES Super Rapid Scan Operations for Research (SRSOR) 1-minute imagery was available for the severe weather event of 21 May 2014 that affected Colorado and Wyoming: http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/reports/140521_rpts.html At the surface, southeast winds advected moisture into the Denver Continue Reading

GOES-14 Super Rapid Scan Operations (SRSO) was activated for the severe thunderstorm event of May 8, 2014. This blog entry consists of a youtube video: http://youtu.be/oHKCIIA95Oo For access to real-time GOES SRSO (when available) click here: http://rammb.cira.colostate.edu/dev/lindsey/loops/

A cold air mass was in place over the Great Lakes during 12 December 2013, providing for lake-effect snow across the Great Lakes.  The synthetic imagery from the 4-km NSSL WRF-ARW model initialized 0000 UTC 12 December shows the various lake-effect snowbands (low-level clouds with brightness temperatures that are not that cold relative to high Continue Reading

This blog entry will make a comparison between synthetic imagery generated from 2 different models, the NSSL WRF-ARW and the NAM-Nest, both with a horizontal grid spacing of 4 km.  After comparing the synthetic imagery between the 2 models, we will compare them to the observed GOES imagery. The major differences between the 2 models Continue Reading

The synthetic IR (10.35 um) imagery from the 0000 UTC 5 March 2013 NSSL WRF-ARW run: http://rammb.cira.colostate.edu/templates/loop_directory.asp?data_folder=training/visit/loops/6mar13_syn_wrf&image_width=1020&image_height=900 forecasts a region of colder cloud tops from the Ohio Valley towards the mid-Atlantic states during the late afternoon to morning hours of March 6.  This region of colder cloud tops is associated with an extra-tropical cyclone, so Continue Reading

Transverse bands were observed between approximately 1400-1700 UTC in the vicinity of Buffalo, NY in the GOES water vapor imagery (from the CIMSS satellite blog): http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/goes/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/130208_g13_wv_east_coast_storm_anim.gif and also in the GOES IR imagery: http://rammb.cira.colostate.edu/templates/loop_directory.asp?data_folder=training/visit/loops/8feb13_BUF_ir&image_width=1020&image_height=900 Note the orientation of the transverse bands is approximately perpendicular to the winds at upper levels (350 mb wind direction and Continue Reading

Dan Bikos This blog entry will examine the synthetic low cloud / fog product produced by the 4-km NSSL WRF-ARW model.  For detailed information on this product, see: http://rammb.cira.colostate.edu/training/visit/training_sessions/synthetic_imagery_in_forecasting_low_clouds_and_fog/ Let’s examine this product on the Washington and Oregon coastline from October 10, 2012: http://rammb.cira.colostate.edu/templates/loop_directory.asp?data_folder=training/visit/loops/10oct12_west_syn_fog&image_width=1020&image_height=900 Recall that low cloud or fog is depicted as blue in Continue Reading

Louie Grasso and Jeff Braun Updated June 25, 2012 Now: The Whitewater-Baldy Fire was a very large wildfire that existed over southwestern New Mexico during the last couple of weeks of May and into June 2012.  At nearly 300, 000 acreas in size, it it easily the state’s largest wildfire in modern times.  The High Continue Reading

The GOES-R Proving Ground serves to demonstrate products that will be available on future satellites that are part of the GOES-R series.  One of the Proving Ground products developed at CIRA is the GOES Snow / Cloud discriminator. The utility of this product can be shown with the snow event that affected Colorado on October Continue Reading