Recent studies at the Global Hydrology and Climate Center (GHCC) have shown that the assimilation of land skin temperature (LST) tendencies into a mesoscale model can significantly improve short-term forecasts of near surface air temperature and moisture. Derived land surface products from the GOES satellites were used in these studies to provide high spatial and temporal resolution information about the spatial and temporal variability of the land surface forcing simulated in the model. In the model assimilation studies, LST was derived using a split window technique using the 11 and 12 µm channels found on the GOES-8 Sounder. These studies used a constant surface emissivity of 0.98 for both channels. However, this emissivity assumption over the land does not take into account emissivity variations due to varying terrain characteristics and differences between channels. These emissivity variations can be significant as indicated by emissivity products from the polar orbiting MODIS instrument for channels similar to the GOES-8 Sounder channels mentioned above. In an attempt to improve the emissivity assumptions used in the GOES Sounder LST retrieval procedure, the incorporation of MODIS high spatial resolution (1 km) emissivity measurements into the LST procedure is being explored. This paper intercompares the LST retrievals from the GOES-8 Sounder using a constant emissivity assumption with those using MODIS retrieved emissivities. The effects of MODIS emissivities on the LST retrievals are discussed. Potential improvements in model forecasts using assimilated LST products incorporating MODIS emissivities are also examined.