Severe Weather Storm Warnings

Image courtesy NASA Daily sea-surface temperature data provides valuable information for coastal weather forecasting. The increased spatial resolution and calibration accuracy of MODIS (left image) provides better input for forecasters than current GOES data (right image).

"These new cities will let us show how the MODIS data also applies to regions where oceans and snowy terrains play a major role in local weather," Bradshaw says. Eventually the program leaders hope to apply the lessons learned to all 130 NWS forecast offices around the country. After the kinks have been worked out of the system and NWS forecasters are using the data in daily operations, the project leaders expect that the NWS will continue relying on Terra and Aqua for this higher-quality data until the new NOAA satellites are launched, Jedlovec says.

Which means that this next generation of accurate, detailed storm warnings may be coming soon to a television near you.

For more information:

Watch 'Storm Chasers: Fury in the Skies' TV documentary
http://www.firstscience.com/home/firstscience.tv/stormchasers-fury-in-the-skies_8.html

Watch  'Storm Chasers: Fury in the Plains' TV documentary
http://www.firstscience.com/home/firstscience.tv/storm-chasers-fury-on-the-plains_9.html

Watch 'Oaklahoma Fury' TV documentary
http://www.firstscience.com/home/firstscience.tv/oklahoma-fury_12.html

Watch 'When Nature Strikes Back: Chasing Killer Storms' TV documentary
http://www.firstscience.com/home/firstscience.tv/when-nature-strikes-back-chasing-killer-storms_16.html