The steep sun angle this time of year causes the mountains of the Alaska range to cast long shadows, longest of which from Denali. These two images are similar views of the mountain from above: VIIRS DayLandCloud to discriminate ice/snow from clouds and VIIRS GeoColor, used for aerosol detection.

This season has brought rapid southerly sea ice growth the Bering Sea! These tools help us track sea ice, the SnowCloud Discriminator and the DayLandCloud RGB help distinguish ice/snow from clouds while the AMSR 2 Microwave Sea Ice Concentration Product estimates the percentage of sea ice in a pixel

Join us Jan. 21 @ 11am AKST to hear from UAF Professor and Chief Scientist of the Alaska Satellite Facility, Dr.Franz Meyer as he highlights Alaska’s important role in providing satellite data with more accuracy with NASA/ISRO’s NISAR mission. Register here --> uaf-accap.org/event/vaws-i...

It’s been a cold few weeks in Alaska! 🧊 Watch how GINA’s VIIRS Sea Ice Surface Temperature product tracks cold air as it pushes southward on Jan. 6th. This animation highlights the transition to -25F, with warmer temperatures in blue and colder temperatures shown in magenta.

Interior Alaska’s cold snap has created persistent ice fog, which GINA has monitored from the ground and space 🛰️ Check out this photo taken by a GINA employee from the UAF campus on Dec. 29 vs. a #VIIRS DayLandCloud RGB captured via the NOAA 20 satellite a few days later.

Interior Alaska has been in a deep freeze for several weeks, and one of GINA’s amazing employees took this picture on his way into work. Cycling at negative 40… brrr!! Be sure to check out @alaskawx.bsky.social for more information on the extent of the cold snap. #akwx

GINA is helping lead a new pilot project to validate the blowing #snow satellite data product! Use the GLOBE Observer app’s Clouds tool to observe blowing snow, which is snow lofted from the ground high into the air. Learn how to make observations at → observer.globe.gov/do-globe-obs...

Christi, @alaskagina.bsky.social science educator, gave a presentation on the Global Learning and Observations Benefit the Environment #GLOBE program today. 🧪🌊🦑🌐🍎🍀 #AGU25 From Sky to Sea: GLOBE and 4-H in the Subarctic www.globe.gov/news-events/...

There were clear skies over the Arctic Ocean yesterday, giving us a view of the #icepack north of Alaska. These #VIIRS images show the complex structure of fractures and leads (left) and the ice surface temperature, which is coldest (purple/magenta) close to the North Pole (right). #akwx #seaice

Tune in Dec. 4, 11-12 AKST to learn about the complexities of forecasting mountain weather in Alaska. Join Carson Jones and Mik Dalphes as they detail the tools and networks used by meteorologists and avalanche forecasters to assess and communicate risk. More here → uaf-accap.org/event/vaws-w...

Alaskan’s were treated to an auroral show the night of Nov 11 thanks to a geomagnetic storm! This VIIRS DayNightBand image captures aurora over the state. Meanwhile, our friends at CIMSS captured the aurora over the continental US! More information from CIMSS - cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/satellite-bl...

Did you miss this month’s VAWS webinar? Not to worry! The Nov. 13 webinar with Rick Thoman and Ed Plumb, covering the weather and climate aspects of ex-Typhoon Halong, which hit western Alaska last month, is available as a recording. Find the recording here → uaf-accap.org/.../ex-typho... #akwx

While Fairbanks temps were dropping last Sunday, southeast Alaska was experiencing a heavy rain event. This image shows QPE, Quantitative Precipitation Estimate, which uses satellite microwave data to approximate the amount of liquid precipitation received over 6hrs. #akxw #weather #NOAA

Tune in Nov. 13 @ 11am AKST to hear Rick Thoman and Ed Plumb discuss the weather and climate aspects of ex-Typhoon Halong which hit western Alaska on Oct. 11-12. Learn about the storm's evolution and what made this storm unique. Register here: uaf-accap.org/event/ex-typ...

We had a lot of fun preparing for a future Infiniscope Tour of our lab as part of our 4-H pH ocean education project. 🧪🌊🦑🍀 @alaskagina.bsky.social Check out other tours for immersive virtual field trips for learners of all ages. #NASA #ArizonaStateUniversity infiniscope.org/page/tour-it

On Oct. 12, Ex-typhoon Halong hit AKs western coast, causing severe flooding in the Kuskokwim River Delta. VIIRS instruments captured the storm's trajectory in this animation using the longwave-IR band. Donate to the Western Alaska Disaster Relief 2025 Fund here: alaskacf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/c...

Satellites are always on the job, even while we’re sleeping! These #VIIRS products team up at night to give us a detailed look at fog in southeast Alaska. The DayNightBand is sensitive to visible light, like the moon, while the Nighttime Microphysics RGB can separate low clouds and fog.

This year’s National 4-H Week is October 5th – 11th and the theme is Beyond Ready! #4HBeyondReady The 4-H pH project educates #Alaska youth on ocean change. 🧪🌊🦑🍀 www.uaf.edu/news/4h-ph-p...

Who’s ready for snow? ❄️🌨️ This satellite image from Oct. 2nd captures the extent of rain and snow across the state, with widespread light snow in the north and heavy precipitation over the north gulf coast. It won’t be long before it starts to look a lot more like winter!

Join us Oct. 8 (11-12 AKDT) to hear about powering Alaska’s digital atlas. Dr.Leslie Jones will cover how the Alaska Geospatial Office (AGO) works with various groups to close data gaps, modulize core layers, and deliver decision-ready map products to Alaska! More info: uaf-accap.org/event/vaws-p...

The Alaska Fire Science Consortium and International Arctic Research Center education group released K-8 lesson plans to accompany visits to UAF Wildfire Walk. Including a bingo game and observational learning for all ages. Click to get resources +read about the effort: uaf-iarc.org/2025/08/get-...

Winter is on its way with snow beginning to fall across Alaska, starting north of the Brooks Range! Check out these #VIIRS DayLandCloud RGB’s from August 24th and September 15th which use cyan to highlight snow. Can you spot the difference? ❄️ #akwx

Clear skies last week gave us a rare, unobstructed view of Southeast Alaska's coastline and ongoing wildfires in Canada. This #VIIRS Day Fire RGB from Sept 4th highlights the active Lacelle Lake Fire close to Haines Junction in Canada’s Yukon Territory. #akwx #2025fireseason

Sept. 17, 11-12 AKDT join David Levin of the National Weather Service, to discuss communicating forecast uncertainty in Alaska. Explore why we convey uncertainty in forecasts & some common misconceptions about deterministic weather forecasting. Register here - uaf-accap.org/event/commun...

🙌 We had a successful 4-H pH summer camp in Séet Ká Kwáan (Petersburg)! #OceanAcidification #AlaskaSky #FieldworkFriday 🧪🌊🦑🍀 www.kcaw.org/2025/07/17/4... 📸 J. Shaw

At 15:28 UTC NOAA decommissioned the final remaining POES satellite, NOAA-15, after 27 years of low-earth orbit observations, outlasting its predicted lifespan by 25 years! Read more about NOAA-15’s legacy from our friends at CIMSS here ➡️ cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/satellite-bl...

Join us in saying farewell to team member Grace Veenstra! In her time at GINA Grace has transformed our social media, written and published articles, graduated with 2 B.Sc, and much more. Grace, thank you for your hard work! Good luck and we can’t wait to see what you accomplish next! #GINA4Life

After 16 years of diligently providing data, we’re saying farewell to NOAA-19. GINA received final passes from NOAA-19 on August 11, 2025 and the satellite was officially decommissioned on August 13th. So long satellite and safe travels! Find more info here: cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/satellite-bl...

Exciting times in the world of satellite remote sensing, with the upcoming launch of EUMETSAT’s Metop-SG satellite on August 13, 2025 🛰️ This polar orbiting satellite will carry several instruments of interest to GINA and fill temporal coverage gaps in Alaska! Learn more ➡️ www.eumetsat.int/metop-sg

Thank you 🇯🇵 Ikuta High School Science Club 🇯🇵 for visiting our lab during your trip to Fairbanks! 🧪🌊🦑 Students shared their long-term monitoring project with the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment #GLOBE Program. 🌐🙌 www.globe.gov 📸 C. Buffington @alaskagina.bsky.social

Did you miss last week's VAWS webinar introducing the Metop-SG satellites and new METImage instrument with Curtis Seaman? Not to worry! You can find a recording of the webinar and slides to download here ➡️ uaf-accap.org/event/vaws-m...

4-H pH summer camp was a success in Angoon this week! 🧪🌊🦑🍀🦦 #FieldworkFriday #AlaskaSky oceanacidification.noaa.gov/funded-proje... 📸 by C. Buffington @alaskagina.bsky.social

Let's turn back time and look at an image from 2024! On July 23, 2024 the skies were clear, allowing us to see the 2024 wildfires in this #VIIRS DayFire RGB. A year ago, wildfires had burned just over 610,000 acres so far, compared to almost 960,000 acres so far this year. #akwx

Students from Japan and Alaska share water quality data projects. 🧪🌊🌐🇯🇵🇺🇸 The Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment #GLOBE program is focused on education and advancing science through data collection by citizen scientists. @uafairbanks.bsky.social @alaskagina.bsky.social

4-H pH is an interdisciplinary program for youth that includes field work, art, and cooking to learn about #OceanAcidification. 🧪🌊🦑🍀🦦 #YouOtterKnow @alaskagina.bsky.social @uafairbanks.bsky.social @uafextension.bsky.social @aoos-alaska.bsky.social oceanacidification.noaa.gov/funded-proje...

Tune in Wednesday, July 23 @ 11am AKDT to hear from Curtis Seaman on Metop-SG satellites and new METImage instrument 🛰️ Hear an overview of the Metop-SG constellation and METImage instrumentation with a focus on similarities and differences with VIIRS ➡️ uaf-accap.org/event/vaws-m...

Early Sunday morning visible satellite image with the low angle sun highlighting the widespread wildfire smoke across Interior Alaska, parts of the Brooks Range and the western Yukon Territory. NOAA-21 polar orbiter image courtesy @alaskagina.bsky.social. #akwx #ytwx #Smoke #Summer2025

Saturday mid-afternoon satellite image from the NOAA-20 polar orbiter showing active wildfire smoke plumes in northwest Interior Alaska and more diffuse #smoke much farther south and east. Image courtesy @alaskagina.bsky.social. #akwx #weather #Wildfire2025 #Summer2025 @climatologist49.bsky.social

Following a weekend of increased fire activity smoke in interior Alaska has been significant. This #VIIRS True Color image captured last Saturday, July 5, provides a look at the fires in the Fairbanks area contributing to smoke both in town and statewide.

Thank you 🙌 #GLOBE, Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment, program for highlighting our ocean education program 4-H pH! 🧪🌊🦑🌐🍀 www.globe.gov/news-events/...

Hot, dry conditions increased fire activity across the interior this weekend, evidenced by rapid growth for Aggie Creek Fire just north of Fairbanks off the Elliot Highway. This animation uses GINA heat points to track the fires growth from 18,281 to 38,881 acres over July 4-7.

Friday afternoon true color satellite image showing #smoke from Interior Alaska #wildfires streaming northwest in the prevailing winds to over the Chukchi Sea. Plus: view of sea ice along the northern Alaska coast. Image courtesy @alaskagina.bsky.social. #akwx #weather @climatologist49.bsky.social

Hot, dry weather means increased fire activity in the Fairbanks area. Unlike the True Color RGB (right), the #VIIRS DayFire RGB (left) used shortwave infrared to highlight the heat from flames, making active wildfires standout. #akwx #2025alaskafireseason

We lead 4-H pH with Christi Buffington, @alaskagina.bsky.social Science Educator, and Jasmine Shaw, @uafextension.bsky.social Sitka 4-H Lead. 🧪🌊🦑

Discovered June 19, near Parks Highway milepost 262, Bear Creek has rapidly become one of the largest fires this year. This animation uses GINA heat points to track fire progression over 5 days, as it grows from 20 acres at discovery to ~28,000 acres as of June 29. BLM Fire Maps: arcg.is/1nKvW8

Unusually clear skies over Alaska this past week offered satellites a rare view of the whole state. Check out this VIIRS DayLandCloud clip from June 12 - 22, highlighting rapid snow melt north of the Brooks Range. #akwx

Over the past week, the wildfires in Interior Alaska dramatically increased in size and scope. Firefighters are working to tackle the fires across the state, some of which can be seen using this VIIRS DayFire RGB, which uses shortwave infrared to highlight the heat coming off the flames. #akwx

Christi Buffington, who joined GINA last year as our science education director, was recently promoted to deputy director for Training, Education, and Public Engagement at the GLOBE Implementation Office! Amazing Christi, we're so proud! Read about Christi & GLOBE here: www.uaf.edu/news/uaf-edu...

Last week, GINA worked with NWS Fairbanks at the Wildfire & My Community workshop. Incident meteorologist Jonathan Chriest demonstrated how IMETs like him forecast fire weather. Participants had some fun using sling psychrometers to measure relative humidity, a factor in the fire weather forecast.

Last week, GINA partnered with the Education and Outreach Team at the International Arctic Research Center to create and lead the Wildfire & My Community workshop. Our team provided educators and community members with geospatial tools to understand and monitor wildfires in their community!