Use of 1-Minute Satellite Imagery in NWS/WFO Operations

The first of the GOES-R series of satellites launched in November 2016, becoming GOES-16, and eventually GOES-East. Data from the GOES-16 Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) became available to National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Forecast Office (WFO) forecasters in AWIPS-II in March 2017. Since then, GOES-16 ABI has nearly continuously captured 1-minute imagery within two moveable, 1000x1000 km mesoscale sectors. The mesoscale sectors can be positioned anywhere within the ABI full disk view and are repositioned upon request, primarily from the NWS. WFO Pueblo has utilized 1-minute imagery from GOES-16 to aid in forecasting and diagnosing a variety of hazards. There have been similar situations where 1-min imagery was not available, forcing forecasters to view the ABI CONUS 5-min imagery, which is always available. Having experience working with both 1-minute and 5-minute imagery has allowed forecasters to identify particular meteorological situations where using the 1-minute imagery, compared to the 5-minute imagery, improves the forecasters ability to analyze and diagnose atmospheric phenomena. The most apparent situations include: monitoring cumulus cloud evolution and identifying areas of most likely near future deep moist convective initiation, diagnosing deep moist convective initiation, monitoring updraft trends of mature storms, identifying and tracking wildfire hot spots and smoke plumes, and monitoring the evolution of low clouds and fog. This presentation will demonstrate several examples of how ABI 1-minute imagery has influenced NWS/WFO forecaster decision-making in operations.