GOES 16 is supposed to become operational in November 2017.

I'm really disappointed in web access to current GOES (operational East/West) imagery by NWS/NOAA. Out here in the Western U.S. we used to have a web site from NWS Western Region (slc) using a McIdas server that provided nice hi res 1km vis at 15min intervals. They had to shut it down for "political or beuocratic reasons", and now only NESDIS (NOAA's satellite service) provides imagery:

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/west/wfo/index.html

At a slower latency to the next image... and only every 30 minutes. I've protested this to some NWS managers, but they suggest that it be elevated higher into NWS or NOAA.

I've looked and asked around about where or on which NWS/NOAA/NESDIS web site GOES 16 (GOES-R) will become publicly available, but have not found an answer. GOES 16 will deliver 5minute 0.5 km vis imagery and many other channels of data. It's shameful that NOAA/NESDIS had to reduce the quality and timeliness of the current operational GOES to the public. My suspicion is that budget/personnel cuts are taking their toll... and that's before potentially more severe Trump administration cuts kick in.

I know that the satellite experts at University of Wisconsin SSEC have servers ready to deliver GOES 16 to McIdas clients through ADDE. This may be the only way to get truly hi res GOES 16 in the near future.


Walt, do you know when GOES 16 imagery is going to make it into an archive somewhere? I don't usually do visible animations because the current satellites' imagery is just a little too low resolution to look like much for flights shorter than ~500 km.