On 18 May 2017,  SPC issued a high risk for severe thunderstorms across portions of Oklahoma and Kansas. A closed upper low centered over UT/CO sent a shortwave through the TX PH into S Kansas through the day. At the surface, a low deepened over the Texas PH with associated southerly flow drawing warm/moist air into OK and KS. A N-S dryline positioned itself near the TX/OK border while a W-E warm front pushed north into central Kansas.

The first storms of the day initiated along the dryline in northwest Texas and western Oklahoma around 1800 UTC. Initiation took place during the GOES-East full disk scan, which causes a 30-min gap in data. Below is a an image combo known as the “sandwich product” which overlays semi-transparent IR on VIS.

Figure 1: 18 May 2017 GOES-16 IR/VIS combo. Full resolution: https://satelliteliaisonblog.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/20170518_sandwich_anno2.gif

– Bill Line

“The GOES-16 data posted on this page are preliminary, non-operational data and are undergoing testing. Users bear all responsibility for inspecting the data prior to use and for the manner in which the data are utilized.”