Real-time cloud, radiation, and aircraft icing parameters from GOES over the USA

Advances in satellite instrumentation, calibration, and retrieval algorithms have facilitated the development of more quantitative uses for geostationary satellite data in weather and climate. A set of algorithms used for studies of Earth radiation budget and cloud processes have been adapted for real-time processing to provide a variety of products for real-time weather and air safety applications. Pixel-level Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) East and West 4-km data are analyzed with two multispectral techniques during day and night to classify each pixel as cloudy or clear. Cloud phase, optical depth, particle size, water path, top height, thickness, and temperature are derived for each cloudy pixel. Surface skin temperature and albedo are retrieved for each clear pixel. The broadband shortwave (SW) albedo and top-of-atmosphere longwave (LW) radiative fluxes and the surface radiation budget are derived for all pixels. An aircraft icing severity index is estimated for all cloudy pixels for use in an operational icing forecast/diagnosis scheme. These products should be valuable for assimilation into and validation of numerical weather forecast models. The products from this prototype algorithm are described along with summaries of validation studies.