STAR Satellite Rainfall Estimates
Estimated Rainfall Rates: the Hydro-Nowcaster
The following image files are greatly enlarged versions of the instantaneous, one- hour, two-hour three-hour products (about 110K, compared to 16K for the regular products), allowing a closer inspection of the rainfall pattern.
Click on any map to view the full size image in a new window
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HydroNowcaster Instantaneous Rainfall Map of the Continental U.S. |
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HydroNowcaster One Hour Rainfall Rate Map of the Continental U.S. |
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HydroNowcaster Two Hour Rainfall Rate Map of the Continental U.S. |
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HydroNowcaster Three Hour Rainfall Rate Map of the Continental U.S. |
About the Hydro-Nowcaster
The Hydro-Nowcaster (H-N) uses infrared (IR) data from NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) to produce forecasts of rainfall out to 3 hours in the future.
This is done by comparing two consecutive IR images to determine motions in cloud features and changes in the intensity and size of these cloud features. These motions and intensity changes are then applied to the GOES IR-derived Hydro-Estimator (H-E) rainfall rates to extrapolate these rates forward in time up to 3 hours at 15-minute intervals. Details on the H-N can be found in Kuligowski et al. (2004).
The H-N is run in real time on an experimental basis at NESDIS / STAR, i.e., it does not have 24/7 support. It is currently available only for the continental U.S. and surrounding regions.
Reference
Scofield, R. A., R. J. Kuligowski, and J. C. Davenport, 2004: The use of the Hydro-Nowcaster for Mesoscale Convective Systems and the Tropical Rainfall Nowcaster (TRaN) for landfalling tropical systems. Preprints, Symposium on Planning, Nowcasting, and Forecasting in the Urban Zone, Seattle, WA, American Meteorological Society, CD-ROM, 1.4.
