Regional And Mesoscale Meteorology Team
Daily Satellite Discussion
Tuesday August 26, 1997
These images depict composites of maximum radiance (warmest temperatures), minimum radiance (coldest temperatures) and average radiance of 10.7 micrometer imagery for select hours during the month of July 1997 over Colorado. The color table for the maximum radiance (upper left) highlights temperatures warmer than 0 degrees C (red >40, 40>yellow>30, 30>green>20, 20>dark blue>10, 10>light blue>0), while the color table for the minimum radiance (upper right) highlights colder temperatures (-30>light blue>-50, -50>dark blue>-60, -60>green>-70, -70>red>-80). The color table for the average radiance (lower left) highlights temperatures between 0 and -30 C (0>light blue>-10, -10>dark blue>-15, -15>green>-20 , -20>red>-25, -25>yellow>-30). An image depicting topography is in the lower right and it's color table depicts elevation in feet (dark blue- 1500ft, green- 3500ft, red- 7000 ft, light blue- 10000 ft+).
The maximum radiance will be comprised of the warmest value found at each pixel for the designated hour over the entire 31 day period. A loop of the imagery at 3 hour intervals over the day highlights the diurnal heating and cooling differences between the mountains, valleys, and plains. The minimum radiance will be comprised of the coldest value found at each pixel for the designated hour over the 31 day period. A loop of the imagery at 3 hour intervals over the day highlights the stronger convective development over the mountains during the day with stronger convective development over the plains in late afternoon and evening. The average radiance will be comprised of the average value found at each pixel for the designated hour over the 31 day period. It again shows both the diurnal effect of heating and cooling of the land and patterns of cloud development over the mountains and plains. Notice that for the average 1215 UTC image the temperatures colder than 0 C occur over mountainous areas and the higher plains of Wyoming. When compared with the minimum radiance, many of these regions are the result of clear sky to light cloud coverage.
loop here
Bernadette Connell