Applications of New-Generation GOES-16 Satellite Data in a Rocky Mountain NWS Forecast Office

The Grand Junction National Weather Service forecast area is situated west of the Continental Divide and covers western Colorado and eastern Utah. Challenges in situational awareness are ever-present in this geographical region, owing to extreme topographical changes throughout the County Warning Area. Surface observations are sparse and generally limited to small population centers, and the KGJX WSR-88D surveillance radar experiences beam blockage in some sectors from nearby terrain. Additionally, KGJX is situated at 10,000 feet MSL. Scans often overshoot meteorological phenomena, even in valley locations close to the radar itself. The GOES-16 satellite has provided tremendous observational benefits to meteorologists at the Grand Junction National Weather Service office since beta-level data began flowing from the satellite this spring. Improvements in resolution, refresh rate, and data latency enhance forecast operations on a daily basis. The most notable applications have been in the earlier and more accurate detection of convective trends driven by complex terrain-induced circulations. Additional applications have been noted in fire weather detection and monitoring, especially over sparsely populated terrain where ground-truth is often lacking during the early stages of wildfires. Furthermore, Infrared and Water Vapor channels have provided a new perspective on the observation of fog, low stratus, and other cloud formations that have a high-impact on the local aviation community. This poster/presentation will examine some of the operational benefits of GOES-16 in a region that relies heavily on satellite observational capacity.