Day Blowing Snow RGB
Alternative name: Blowing Snow RGB
Main applications
- Detection of blowing snow (also referred to as ground blizzards), where snow is lifted from the surface and transported by strong winds.
Remarks
- A variation of the Day Snow-Fog RGB, specifically tuned to highlight lofted snow.
- Snow on the ground appears in red tones.
Lofted/blowing snow appears in pink, orange, or yellow, depending on plume thickness, solar illumination, and viewing geometry.
Snow-free land appears green. - At night, only clouds are visible, typically in blue shades.
- The RGB is sensitive to cloud phase and particle size; however the Day Cloud Phase RGB is generally preferred for these applications.
- Current validation is limited to:
- Northern United States and southern Canada (using ABI)
- Alaska (using VIIRS).
ABI Blowing Snow RGB
| Colour beam | Channel (difference) | Range min | Range max | Unit | Gamma |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red | VIS0.64 | 0 | 50 | % | 0.7 |
| Green | NIR1.6 | 2 | 20 | % | 1.0 |
| Blue | IR3.9 -- IR10.3 | 0 | 30 | K | 0.7 |
VIIRS Blowing Snow RGB
| Colour beam | Channel (difference) | Range min | Range max | Unit | Gamma |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red | VIS0.64 | 10 | 110 | % | 1.0 |
| Green | NIR1.6 | 5 | 40 | % | 1.0 |
| Blue | IR3.9 -- IR10.3 | 0 | 15 | K | 1.0 |
Next steps / Recommendations
- Further validation is needed across:
- addtional satellite sensors
- different regions where blowing snow is a hazard
- Feedback from operational users is required.