Sub-synoptic-scale Visible (0.6 um) Imagery

This 2 km GOES-8 visible image, at 1815 UTC on 31 May 1996, was recorded prior to the onset of thunderstorms in KS, although one thunderstorm had already developed in CO. Because of its high spatial resolution, satellite imagery is useful for accurately locating boundaries that may go undetected by the coarser resolutions of the surface and upper air observation networks. Boundaries which should be noted include separations between clear and cloudy regions, separations between different types of clouds, as well as fronts and other convergence lines.
VIS Image at 1815 UTC

The image overlay delineates some of the features mentioned above. The blue line in NE lies along a cold front. The yellow, green and light blue lines mark inferred surface convergence lines. The red line marks the outflow boundary created the previous night, as will be discussed with the fog product. Each of these lines had thunderstorm development on or near them. The visible image from 2145 UTC shows the relationship between the boundaries delineated and the thunderstorms which had developed by that time. The loop shows the development of the thunderstorms from 1815 to 2145 UTC.