Successful Integration of GOES-16 ABI into the Air Force Weather (AFW) World-Wide Merged Cloud Analysis (WWMCA)

Air Force Weather (AFW) creates a real-time, hourly World-Wide Merged Cloud Analysis (WWMCA) using imager data from 16 geostationary and polar-orbiting satellites. The analysis product contains information on cloud fraction, height, type and various optical properties including optical depth and integrated water path. All of these products are derived using a suite of algorithms which rely exclusively on passively sensed data from short, mid and long wave imager data.

This presentation will show details from the successful integration of GOES-16 into the suite of sensors utilized in the creation of WWMCA. Information on the challenges, approach and impact to performance will be discussed.