Analyzing Recent Long-Duration Heavy Rainfall Event from Space (credit: GOES-R Satellite)

DISCUSSION: In light of the recent heavy rainfall event which impacted many parts of the Central United States, there was a unanimous interest across the atmospheric science community to further analyze this long-duration heavy rainfall event.  As shown in the animated infrared satellite imagery compilation (courtesy of the GOES-16 satellite imager) in a preliminary and non-operational mode, there was a series of deep convective bursts observed as rapid cloud-top temperature decreases which coincided with a good portion of the heavier rainfall that fell during the course of the weekend.  Attached below is an excerpt from the exact discussion released by the GOES-R (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite - R Series) Facebook page team.  

"GOES-16 captured this amazing infrared imagery of the strong storms that erupted over parts of the southern Plains and Mississippi Valley this past weekend. According to several media reports, the storms caused the deaths of at least 13 people, produced widespread heavy rain resulting in flash floods, high winds that down trees and left thousands without power, a late-season blizzard in Kansas, and tornadoes in Texas, Mississippi, and Kentucky.

This animation was created with Band 13, one of the new spectral bands offered by GOES-16's Advanced Baseline Imager. Band 13, the so-called "clean" longwave infrared band, is primarily used to monitor clouds and storm intensity. As shown here, the imagery produced by this band offers spectacular views of meteorological phenomena, such as the colder cloud tops (shown in green/yellow/red) associated with these storms, in rich detail.

This animation appears courtesy of our partners at the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA). To see more animations, visit their website at goo.gl/faexRt.  

Note: This is preliminary, non-operational data as GOES-16 undergoes on-orbit testing."

To learn more about other high-impact weather events occurring across North America, be sure to click here!

©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz