The images in the table below are derived products that have been generated from the GOES-12 and -10 imager and sounder data. They have become instrumental to the operational forecaster in assessing the pre-storm environment and filling voids in data fields such as the Gulf of Mexico and Mexico. In addition, many of these products are now entered into the numerical models serving to produce more accurate forecasts.  Images will open in a new browser window.

These products are developed by using the cloud top temperatures and an alogorithm developed by the NOAA/NESDIS/ORA Hydrology Team.

An excellent way to get yourself familiar with the world of satellite meteorology is to review the following tutorials on GOES satellites and imagery interpretation.

• Brief description of a GOES satellite

• Imager Sensor

• Sounder Sensor

• GOES 3.9 micron Channel

• Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) GOES Home Page

• Daily Satellite Discussion (including a link to past discussions) from the NOAA-CIRA Regional and Mesoscale Meteorology Team

• The GOES Gallery at CIMSS (an archive of interesting GOES images with discussions)

• Scrapbook of GOES Weather Satellite Pictures from NASA

For the latest information on satellite maneuvers, rapid scan times, and data outages, visit the NESDIS Satellite Operations Status report site.

The links on this page placed special emphasis on the central U.S. and the Gulf Coast region. For additional information not available on this page, the following satellite sites are highly recommended. In addition, many of these sites maintain satellite archives of at least 24 hours.

• Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) GOES Home Page

• NOAA's Geostationary Satellite Server page

• Space Science and Engineering Center at the University of Wisconsin

• Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA) at Colorado State University

• NOAA/NESDIS/ORA Forecast Products Development Team

• Real-Time Weather Data Satellite Page from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)