2 satellite sectors moved
Satellite moves MDS STATUS...
Each GOES weather satellite has two “mesoscale sectors” — small, movable windows that the satellite photographs roughly every 60 seconds, far more often than its routine full-disk and continental scans. Forecasters aim them at whatever is most important that day. This section announces where they are being pointed and for how long.
GOES-East is pointing mesoscale sector 1 at a point about 95 mi WSW of Oklahoma City, OK — to support fire weather operations. That means this patch of sky gets a fresh satellite image about once a minute instead of every 5 to 10 minutes, so forecasters can watch storms develop almost in real time.
- Centre point
- 34.8°N, 99.0°W view on map
- Window
- until
- Reason given
- fire weather operations in the Southern Plains
GOES-West is pointing mesoscale sector 1 at a point about 110 mi SSW of Durango, CO — to support flash flood and heavy rainfall forecasting. That means this patch of sky gets a fresh satellite image about once a minute instead of every 5 to 10 minutes, so forecasters can watch storms develop almost in real time.
- Centre point
- 35.9°N, 108.9°W view on map
- Window
- from until
- Reason given
- excessive rainfall operations across Arizona and New Mexico
Show the original message
Exactly as NWS transmitted it. Everything above is our plain-English reading of this text — if the two ever disagree, this is the authoritative version.
000 NOUS42 KWNO 161621 ADMSDM SENIOR DUTY METEOROLOGIST NWS ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE NWS CENTRAL OPERATIONS COLLEGE PARK MD 1620Z WED SEP 16 2026 MDS STATUS... GOES-E Meso Sector 1 will be centered over 34.8N/99W until 17/0200Z in support of fire weather operations in the Southern Plains. GOES-W Meso Sector 1 will be centered over 35.9N/108.9W from 16/1700Z until 17/0600Z in support of excessive rainfall operations across Arizona and New Mexico. Gerhardt/SDM/NCO