Global Weather & Climate Center
  • Home
  • About
    • GWCC Is
    • Where in the World is GWCC?
    • Contact Us
  • Global Regions
    • Africa
    • Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea
    • Central and Eastern Pacific Ocean
    • Central and South America
    • Europe
    • North America
    • Indian Ocean and Asia
    • Polar Regions
    • South Pacific Ocean and Australia
    • Western Pacific Ocean
  • Weather
    • Applied Meteorology >
      • Air Quality
      • Aviation
      • Droughts
      • Fire Weather
      • Flooding
      • Geosciences
      • Global Environmental Topics
      • Weather Observations
    • Weather Education
    • Weather History
    • Weather Research
    • Weather Safety and Preparedness
    • Severe Weather
    • Social Sciences
    • Space Weather
    • Tropical Cyclones
    • Weather and Health
    • Winter Weather
  • Climate
  • GWCC Global Imagery Archive
  • GWCC Window to the World
    • GOES-16 Live Satellite Imagery Portal
    • GOES-16 ABI Channel Description and Examples
    • GOES-16 ABI Satellite Products
    • GOES-17 Live Satellite Imagery Portal
    • Himawari-8 Live Satellite Imagery Portal
    • Meteosat-11 Live Satellite Imagery Portal
  • Kids Corner
    • Kindergarten to 5th Grade
    • 6th to 12th grade
    • Fun Facts & Weather Trivia
    • GWCC Weather Radar Education
    • GWCC Wheel of Science

​Description of the four-panel GWCC
home page display

The GWCC home page contains a four-panel graphic containing satellite and radar observations and a severe weather outlook (all from NOAA). The following is a brief overview of these graphics (organized by column from left to right):
  • GOES-16 (or GOES-East) Geo-Color Satellite Imagery (upper left) – This image, obtained by the GOES-16 (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite) imager provides as close an approximation to daytime True Color imagery as is possible, and thus allows for an intuitive interpretation of meteorological and surface-based features. At night, instead of being dark like in other visible bands, an IR-based multispectral product is provided that differentiates between low liquid water clouds and higher ice clouds. A static city lights database derived from the VIIRS Day Night Band is provided as the nighttime background for geo-referencing. The 5-min imagery is projected per the satellite's native orthographic projection. Note, that GOES-East satellite images on different web pages (or in different GWCC posts) may use different enhancement or “false color” image temperature scales. Colorized images, such as these, should always have their own color key. (credit: CIRA)


  • GOES-16 (or GOES-East) Upper-Level Water Vapor Satellite Imagery (lower left) – This geostationary satellite imagery also measures “heat,” but the satellite sensors used are more sensitive to the amount and distribution of atmospheric water vapor. When the atmosphere at the middle and high altitudes is dry, infrared energy from lower altitudes (where temperatures are normally warmer) is able to escape to space and be detected by the GOES-16 (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite) sensors.  GOES-16 Upper-Level Water Vapor Satellite Imagery is used for upper-level tropospheric water vapor tracking, jet stream identification, hurricane track forecasting, mid-latitude storm forecasting, severe weather analysis, upper mid-level moisture estimation (for legacy vertical moisture profiles) and turbulence detection.


  • GOES-16 (or GOES-East) Lower-Level Water Vapor Satellite Imagery (lower right) –  This geostationary satellite imagery also measures “heat,” but the satellite sensors used are more sensitive to the amount and distribution of atmospheric water vapor. When the atmosphere at the middle and high altitudes is dry, infrared energy from lower altitudes (where temperatures are normally warmer) is able to escape to space and be detected by the GOES-16 (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite) sensors.  GOES-16 Lower-Level Water Vapor Satellite Imagery is used for detecting water vapor at middle to lower portions of the atmosphere, in addition to high clouds.


  • National radar composite image (lower right) – This image brings together radar reflectivity data from some 100 plus radar sites throughout the contiguous 48 states. Radars measure how much energy atmospheric solids and liquids (hydrometeors such as snow, hail, and rain, as well as particles such as dense smoke and volcanic ash) reflect back to a radar site. The greater the reflectivity value (shown in dBz units), the greater the concentration of so-called “hydrometeors,” solids and other objects (e.g., birds, bats), the radar beam may intercept. The color scale ranges from blues and greens (the lowest reflectivities) to reds and purples (the highest reflectivities).

​Updated 3/17/2018
© 2022, Global Weather and Climate Center
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
​Webmaster - Stephen Piechowski
  • Home
  • About
    • GWCC Is
    • Where in the World is GWCC?
    • Contact Us
  • Global Regions
    • Africa
    • Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea
    • Central and Eastern Pacific Ocean
    • Central and South America
    • Europe
    • North America
    • Indian Ocean and Asia
    • Polar Regions
    • South Pacific Ocean and Australia
    • Western Pacific Ocean
  • Weather
    • Applied Meteorology >
      • Air Quality
      • Aviation
      • Droughts
      • Fire Weather
      • Flooding
      • Geosciences
      • Global Environmental Topics
      • Weather Observations
    • Weather Education
    • Weather History
    • Weather Research
    • Weather Safety and Preparedness
    • Severe Weather
    • Social Sciences
    • Space Weather
    • Tropical Cyclones
    • Weather and Health
    • Winter Weather
  • Climate
  • GWCC Global Imagery Archive
  • GWCC Window to the World
    • GOES-16 Live Satellite Imagery Portal
    • GOES-16 ABI Channel Description and Examples
    • GOES-16 ABI Satellite Products
    • GOES-17 Live Satellite Imagery Portal
    • Himawari-8 Live Satellite Imagery Portal
    • Meteosat-11 Live Satellite Imagery Portal
  • Kids Corner
    • Kindergarten to 5th Grade
    • 6th to 12th grade
    • Fun Facts & Weather Trivia
    • GWCC Weather Radar Education
    • GWCC Wheel of Science