GOES-18 Interleave Testing - Has ended. GOES-West data now supplied from operational GOES-17 satellite.
GOES-18 expected to become operational GOES-West in January 2023. See GOES-18 Interleave Testing for more information.
4 Dec 2023 - 05:47 EST
4 Dec 2023 - 10:47 UTC
GOES-West Mesoscale view - Day Cloud Phase / Night Microphysics at 55°N - 149°W - North Pacific Ocean
Day Cloud Phase RGB is now combined with Night Microphysics RGB to make DayNightCloudMicroCombo RGB.
Half hour loop - 30 images - 1 minute update
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Day Cloud Phase / Night Microphysics - Day: show phase of cloud tops; night: distinguish clouds from fog - 04 Dec 2023 - 1010 UTC
Day Cloud Phase / Night Microphysics - Day: show phase of cloud tops; night: distinguish clouds from fog - 04 Dec 2023 - 1011 UTC
Day Cloud Phase / Night Microphysics - Day: show phase of cloud tops; night: distinguish clouds from fog - 04 Dec 2023 - 1012 UTC
Day Cloud Phase / Night Microphysics - Day: show phase of cloud tops; night: distinguish clouds from fog - 04 Dec 2023 - 1013 UTC
Day Cloud Phase / Night Microphysics - Day: show phase of cloud tops; night: distinguish clouds from fog - 04 Dec 2023 - 1014 UTC
Day Cloud Phase / Night Microphysics - Day: show phase of cloud tops; night: distinguish clouds from fog - 04 Dec 2023 - 1015 UTC
Day Cloud Phase / Night Microphysics - Day: show phase of cloud tops; night: distinguish clouds from fog - 04 Dec 2023 - 1016 UTC
Day Cloud Phase / Night Microphysics - Day: show phase of cloud tops; night: distinguish clouds from fog - 04 Dec 2023 - 1018 UTC
Day Cloud Phase / Night Microphysics - Day: show phase of cloud tops; night: distinguish clouds from fog - 04 Dec 2023 - 1019 UTC
Day Cloud Phase / Night Microphysics - Day: show phase of cloud tops; night: distinguish clouds from fog - 04 Dec 2023 - 1020 UTC
Day Cloud Phase / Night Microphysics - Day: show phase of cloud tops; night: distinguish clouds from fog - 04 Dec 2023 - 1021 UTC
Day Cloud Phase / Night Microphysics - Day: show phase of cloud tops; night: distinguish clouds from fog - 04 Dec 2023 - 1022 UTC
Day Cloud Phase / Night Microphysics - Day: show phase of cloud tops; night: distinguish clouds from fog - 04 Dec 2023 - 1023 UTC
Day Cloud Phase / Night Microphysics - Day: show phase of cloud tops; night: distinguish clouds from fog - 04 Dec 2023 - 1024 UTC
Day Cloud Phase / Night Microphysics - Day: show phase of cloud tops; night: distinguish clouds from fog - 04 Dec 2023 - 1025 UTC
Day Cloud Phase / Night Microphysics - Day: show phase of cloud tops; night: distinguish clouds from fog - 04 Dec 2023 - 1026 UTC
Day Cloud Phase / Night Microphysics - Day: show phase of cloud tops; night: distinguish clouds from fog - 04 Dec 2023 - 1028 UTC
Day Cloud Phase / Night Microphysics - Day: show phase of cloud tops; night: distinguish clouds from fog - 04 Dec 2023 - 1029 UTC
Day Cloud Phase / Night Microphysics - Day: show phase of cloud tops; night: distinguish clouds from fog - 04 Dec 2023 - 1031 UTC
Day Cloud Phase / Night Microphysics - Day: show phase of cloud tops; night: distinguish clouds from fog - 04 Dec 2023 - 1032 UTC
Day Cloud Phase / Night Microphysics - Day: show phase of cloud tops; night: distinguish clouds from fog - 04 Dec 2023 - 1034 UTC
Day Cloud Phase / Night Microphysics - Day: show phase of cloud tops; night: distinguish clouds from fog - 04 Dec 2023 - 1035 UTC
Day Cloud Phase / Night Microphysics - Day: show phase of cloud tops; night: distinguish clouds from fog - 04 Dec 2023 - 1036 UTC
Day Cloud Phase / Night Microphysics - Day: show phase of cloud tops; night: distinguish clouds from fog - 04 Dec 2023 - 1037 UTC
Day Cloud Phase / Night Microphysics - Day: show phase of cloud tops; night: distinguish clouds from fog - 04 Dec 2023 - 1038 UTC
Day Cloud Phase / Night Microphysics - Day: show phase of cloud tops; night: distinguish clouds from fog - 04 Dec 2023 - 1039 UTC
Day Cloud Phase / Night Microphysics - Day: show phase of cloud tops; night: distinguish clouds from fog - 04 Dec 2023 - 1040 UTC
Day Cloud Phase / Night Microphysics - Day: show phase of cloud tops; night: distinguish clouds from fog - 04 Dec 2023 - 1041 UTC
Day Cloud Phase / Night Microphysics - Day: show phase of cloud tops; night: distinguish clouds from fog - 04 Dec 2023 - 1043 UTC
Day Cloud Phase / Night Microphysics - Day: show phase of cloud tops; night: distinguish clouds from fog - 04 Dec 2023 - 1044 UTC
Day Cloud Phase key:
1 - Low level clouds with water droplets (cyan, lavender) 2 - Glaciating clouds (green) 3 - Snow (shades of green) 4 - Thick high level clouds with ice particles (yellow) 5 - Thin mid level clouds with water droplets (magenta) 6 - Thin high-level clouds with ice particles (red-orange) 7 - Land surface (shades of blue) 8 - Water surface (black)
The STAR GOES Imagery Site team has developed the Day Night Cloud Micro Combo product to more efficiently deliver the observational value of both the Day Cloud Phase Distinction & Night Microphysics RGB products.
Daytime: Day Cloud Phase RGB The daytime period of this RGB helps evaluate the phase of cooling cloud tops to monitor convective initiation, storm growth, and decay. It can also be used to identify snow on the ground. The Day Cloud Phase Distinction RGB takes advantage of cloud reflectance differences between the visible and near infrared channels and temperature variances between land and clouds in the infrared to provide increased contrast between background surfaces and phases of clouds (i.e., water vs. ice). Due to its reliance on visible bands 2 and 5, it is only usable during daylight hours. This composite was developed by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) for Himawari-8. Interpretation is still under investigation.
Nighttime: Nighttime Microphysics RGB The distinction between low clouds and fog in satellite imagery is challenging. While the difference between the 10.4 and 3.9 μm channels has been a regularly applied product to meet aviation forecast needs, the Nighttime Microphysics (NtMicro) RGB adds another channel difference (12.4- 10.4 μm) as a proxy to cloud thickness and repeats the use of the 10.4 μm thermal channel to enhance areas of warm (i.e., low) clouds where fog is more likely. The NtMicro RGB is also an efficient tool to quickly identify other cloud types in the mid and upper atmosphere.