New GOES satellite to launch in 2015

[Scott Weberpal]

http://news.aol.com/article/us-plans-8-billion-super-storm-tracker/224645

"The new satellites will scan the continental USA every five minutes, compared with every 15 minutes now. It will take a snapshot of a storm area every 30 seconds, compared with every 7.5 minutes now, says Steve Goodman, NOAA's program scientist for GOES-R."

 

[Skip Talbot]

The lightning mapper, a first, will help forecasters predict tornadoes that often form in severe thunderstorms, said NOAA. Most tornado warning times, now 13 minutes on average, will grow by 50%, Goodman says.

Lightning mapping to predict tornadoes? Anyone know anything else about this? Are they using lightning strike density to predict updraft strength and intensification, or watching for polarity switches?

 

[rdale]

Not sure why this is news today, it was announced about a decade ago

http://goes.gsfc.nasa.gov/text/goesnext.html

"The lightning mapper, a first, will help forecasters predict tornadoes that often form in severe thunderstorms, said NOAA. Most tornado warning times, now 13 minutes on average, will grow by 50%, Goodman says."

I hate when program leaders say STUPID things just for the PR or making Congress happy or whatever the reason...

 

[Skip Talbot]

Yeah, and we still have to wait more than a half decade before we see the results.

 

[Mike Smith]

These typically slip 2-3 years given that it is still seven years out.

There is a tie between lightning and tornadoes but unless the satellite lightning mapper can sense polarity (I don't know whether it can), it won't be much help in finding tornadoes. I suspect this is largely press release 'hype.'

Mike

 

[HAltschule]

There has been well documented evidence on several major tornado events that have shown the development of a large and powerful tornadoes when the polarity changes of CG strikes and frequency occur. One of the most memorable events was the Plainfield, IL F5 tornado years ago.

http://ams.allenpress.com/perlserv/?request=get-abstract&issn=1520-0477&volume=74&page=189

 

[rdale]

There has been well documented evidence on several major tornado events that have shown the development of a large and powerful tornadoes when the polarity changes of CG strikes and frequency occur.

That's not related to this discussion though - GLM is a 10km box just of lightning strike counts.

http://ams.confex.com/ams/88Annual/techprogram/paper_129399.htm