Science for Alaska Lecture Series

This is a free all ages lecture.

Before a weather forecast can be made, the current state of the weather must first be understood.  This is no easy task in and around Alaska where many ground-based weather observing platforms, such as weather radars, are few and far between.  Weather satellites are thus uniquely helpful in Alaska—weather satellites provide a spatially-comprehensive view of Alaska and its surrounding environment, and polar-orbiting satellites actually provide more frequent coverage of Alaska than of the Lower 48.   In this lecture, the various kinds of weather satellites are described, as well as the instruments that these satellites carry.  Examples of satellite imagery will be presented, with a special emphasis on imagery over Alaska, and on imagery produced by the University of Alaska for use by the National Weather Service in the production of weather forecasts and warnings that serve Alaskans.