The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) core observatory satellite flew over the Atlantic Ocean, off the southeastern U.S. coast on Aug. 26. GPM's radar (DPR Ku Band) measured the precipitation that was occurring within the storm, from space. GPM is a joint mission between the U.S. space agency NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
NOAA's GOES East satellite provided visible imagery that allowed forecasters to see cloud formation around the storm. GOES East is one of two geostationary satellites operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
On Aug. 27 at 11:35 a.m. EDT (1535 UTC), NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite passed over Ida and captured a visible image of the storm. The image showed the storm's center located offshore, south-southeast of Savannah, Georgia. The image showed that cloud coverage covered much of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee, and part of southern Virginia.
On Aug. 28 at 7 a.m. EDT (1100 UTC), the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured sea surface temperatures in Tropical Storm Ida. AIRS data showed sea surface temperatures near Ida were near 84 degrees Fahrenheit (28.8 Celsius) and warmer temperatures often fuel tropical cyclones.
At 11 p.m. EDT on Aug. 28 (0300 UTC on Aug. 29) the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard the NOAA-NASA Suomi NPP satellite provided this visible/infrared image of Ida approaching Louisiana as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph (150 kph). The eye of the storm is seen about 75 miles (120 km) southeast of New Orleans, La.
Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) continue to monitor the progress of Ida and they noted in their 11 p.m. EDT (0300 UTC) discussion that "There is some spreading of the cloud pattern in the western semicircle of the storm...which is likely due to increasing shear over the system."
