Where are the Cold, Highest Clouds in Fay?
This satellite image of Fay was created by data from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite. It shows the temperature of Fay’s cloud tops on Aug. 18, 18:41 UTC (2:41 p.m. EDT), around the same time the CloudSat captured its images of cloud heights. The lowest temperatures (in purple) are associated with high, cold cloud tops that make up Fay’s center. There are large areas of strong convection (rising air and rainfall) shown here in purple. Where there are no clouds the AIRS instrument reads the infrared signal from the surface of the Earth (over both land and water), revealing warmer temperatures (red). The AIRS data creates an accurate 3-D map of atmospheric temperature, water vapor and clouds, all of which are helpful to forecasters. Fay Changing Course Fay is now forecast to head up to Jacksonville, and curve back inland, and track along the Georgia/Florida border headed toward southern Alabama.
