Daily Archives: April 14, 2025

Satellite data help forecast the weather in two ways: expert forecasters interpret the satellite images and numerical weather-prediction models assimilate the data they collect. Image analysis plays an important role in short-term forecasts, those that predict the weather 1 to 3 hours into the future, while numerical weather predictions are more useful in 12-hour to 3-day forecasts.

While weather forecasters routinely analyze current satellite observations, most data never reach forecasters’ eyes. Most satellite observations are assimilated into numerical weather-prediction models. Today’s weather forecast models rely on satellite data to make accurate weather predictions. These satellite observations include the vertical distribution of temperature and humidity, cloud distributions, land and sea surface temperatures, location of volcanic ash, fires, and wind speeds and directions. Continue reading →