Skip to main content

GOES East Focuses on Dual Storm Systems

October 11, 2019
Image of severe storms

GOES East captured this awe-inspiring view of two large storm systems over North America on Friday, Oct. 11, 2019.

To the west, a powerful cold front responsible for the coldest air so far this season is pushing eastward into the Plains and the Midwest. This air is moving into a much warmer, more humid air mass to the east, causing a massive row of fast-moving thunderstorms to form along the sharp temperature gradient.

Off the East Coast, a former nor’easter centered southeast of New England has now become Subtropical Storm Melissa. It is currently bringing rain and some wind to coastal areas of Massachusetts, as high pressure across eastern Canada is blocking it from moving closer to land. The storm is expected to move away from the coast Friday night as it slowly weakens.

The GOES East geostationary satellite, also known as GOES-16, keeps watch over most of North America, including the continental United States and Mexico, as well as Central and South America, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west coast of Africa. The satellite's high-resolution imagery provides optimal viewing of severe weather events, including thunderstorms, tropical storms, and hurricanes.