Widespread severe convection developed across eastern Colorado ahead of a cold front in an environment characterized by favorable deep layer shear and instability on 10 August 2017. Given this, SPC had a slight risk for severe storms out for a broad area, and would later upgrade a portion of the region to Enhanced. Given the threat, WFO-Pueblo requested 1-min imagery from GOES-16. Convection would develop quickly off the high terrain and move east into the plains. These storms produced widespread severe hail, including a few reports up to baseball size. The GOES-16 1-min animation below shows rapid development of a storm on the Colorado/Kansas border which would quickly produce at least golf ball sized hail. The overshooting tops and above anvil cirrus plume indicate a particularly strong updraft and likely severe.

Figure 1: 10 August 2017 1-min VIS along Colorado/Kansas border. Full res: https://satelliteliaisonblog.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/20170810_1min_vis4.gif

-Bill Line, NWS

“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.”