As expected, a mid-latitude tornado is rapidly developing west of our coast, and the satellite imagery is impressive.
Consider an infrared satellite image taken around 6 p.m. by the NOAA GOES-West satellite located 35,000 km from the equator (see below). Whiter clouds are cooler and higher.
Look up close and you can see clouds swirling ahead into the lowlands.
A close-up view of the low central region shows cold air rain clouds (speckled elements in the southwest) circling the lowlands. (see close-up below).
Even more impressive is perhaps the steam satellite image sensing water vapor instead of clouds (below). You can even see dry air circulating into the lowlands from the southwest (darker areas).
Another beautification is the 4 a.m. pacific wind speed forecast, with winds indicated by color (and wind direction by lines)…see below. Strong winds to the south and west of the storm system are evident…. a feature known as a toxic tail
Wind speed (mph) at 4am. Courtesy of WeatherBell, Inc.
As the storm moved away from our shores on Thursday afternoon (see forecast for 1 p.m. below), the big difference in sea level pressure (higher inland, much lower out) oceans) will result in our air being accelerated to the ocean.
Such easterly currents (easterly winds) will be particularly strong Wednesday night along the western foothills of the Cascades and out of the Strait of Juan de Fuca (orange and dark blue are the strongest winds). Nice graphics, but also strong and dangerous winds.
And finally, there are significant wave heights forecast for Thursday morning at 2 a.m. Pacific time. Monster waves more than 30 feet high will reach the coasts of northern CA and southern Oregon. Beautiful but deadly.
The line between science and art is sometimes blurred and this fact is a perfect example. Perhaps someone could start a business selling weather graphic “art”.
