Technology allows us to appreciate a natural phenomenon that is as beautiful as it is terrifying. The polar front that has impacted much of Florida in recent days also left a visual spectacle over the Gulf and the Atlantic, captured by the satellites of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The NOAA agency shared this Tuesday a video recorded by the GOES-19 satellite, also known as GOES East, showing long, parallel strips of clouds called "cloud streets."
These formations, the institution explained, occur when cold, dry air flows over warmer waters, generating rows of cumulus clouds aligned with the direction of the wind.
The phenomenon, referred to as "horizontal convective rolls," was recorded on Sunday, February 1, between 13:36 and 19:46 (UTC).
The images show a clear strip between the coast and the beginning of the clouds, which, according to NOAA, is due to the time it takes for cold air to warm up and absorb the moisture needed to form clouds.
The Arctic front that caused this phenomenon brought some of the coldest temperatures in years to the state. Thermometers dropped to –5 °C (23 °F) in Winter Haven, –1 °C (30 °F) in West Palm Beach, and 1 °C (35 °F) in Miami, unusual readings even for the most severe winters in South Florida.
The GOES-19 satellite, also known as GOES East, monitors a large portion of North America, the Caribbean, Central America, and the Atlantic, providing high-resolution images that allow for real-time observation of winter storms, hurricanes, and other extreme weather events.
Filed under: