3 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 2 at a point about 105 mi WNW of Omaha, NE — to support severe thunderstorm and tornado 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
- 42.0°N, 97.7°W view on map
- Window
- from until
- Reason given
- severe wx ops over the Northern and Central Plains
GOES-West is pointing mesoscale sector 1 at a point about 30 mi WSW of Spokane, WA — to support a research field campaign. 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
- 47.5°N, 118.0°W view on map
- Window
- from until
- Reason given
- the INSPYRE NASA field campaign in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia
GOES-West is pointing mesoscale sector 2 at a point about 45 mi N of Fresno, CA — 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
- 37.4°N, 119.8°W view on map
- Window
- until
- Reason given
- fire wx ops and marginal ERO in the UT/AZ/NM area
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 081557 ADMSDM SENIOR DUTY METEOROLOGIST NWS ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE NWS CENTRAL OPERATIONS COLLEGE PARK MD 1556Z SAT AUG 08 2026 MDS STATUS... GOES-E MDS Sector 2 will be centered over 42N/97.7W from 1700Z to 09/0600Z in support of severe wx ops over the Northern and Central Plains GOES-W MDS Sector 1 will be centered over 47.5N/118W from 1800Z to 09/0600Z in support of the INSPYRE NASA field campaign in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. GOES-W MDS Sector 2 is centered over 37.4N/119.8W until 09/1100Z in support of fire wx ops and marginal ERO in the UT/AZ/NM area. Renkevens/SDM/NCO