The 15 Best Weather Images of October 2015

Chris Dolce
Published: October 28,2015
October 2015 included catastrophic flooding in South Carolina and the most powerful hurricane ever recorded. Here are some of the most stunning weather images from those events and other unique weather features from the month.
(MORE IMAGES: South Carolina Floods | Hurricane Patricia)

Disastrous Flooding and Hurricane Joaquin

This first image is the infrared satellite from the morning of Oct. 3. It shows an intense area of rainfall over South Carolina represented by the dark red and black shadings (colder and therefore higher cloud tops) extending from South Carolina to off the Southeast coast. Also shown is Hurricane Joaquin, which peaked as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph at that time.
South Carolina saw disastrous flooding from the long-lived rain event that included some of Joaquin's moisture.

(NASA)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Massive Upper Low Over the Southeast

This water vapor satellite image sent in a tweet by senior meteorologist Stu Ostro of The Weather Channel shows a huge upper low over the Southeast on Oct. 4. Pictured to the right is Hurricane Joaquin as it neared Bermuda. The upper low helped contribute to the excessive rainfall that led to disastrous flooding in South Carolina.

(NASA)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Extreme Rainfall

Rainfall estimates based on radar over South Carolina and adjacent parts of North Carolina Oct. 1-4. Red, pink and white shadings represent the heaviest rainfall totals during that time. Portions of South Carolina saw more than 20 inches of rain from this storm, and widespread totals of a foot or more cover much of an area bounded by Interstate 26 on the west, Interstate 20 on the north and the Atlantic Ocean on the south and east.

(The Weather Channel)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Satellite Shows Persistent Rain Band

Suomi NPP VIIRS satellite image from early in the morning on Oct. 5 showing the persistent rain still ongoing near the South Carolina/North Carolina border.

(NOAA)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plume of Moisture Soaks Alaska, Western Canada

This infrared satellite image from Oct. 8 shows a plume of moisture (orange, red shadings) that soaked southwest Alaska and western Canada. At the tail end of that moisture plume (bottom center) is Hurricane Oho, which was becoming a non-tropical low pressure system at that time.

(NASA)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Strong Low Near Alaska Coast

A powerful low pressure system swirling just off the west coast of Alaska on Oct. 11.

(NASA)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thunderstorms Develop in Southern California and Trigger Mudslides

This animation shows how thunderstorms billowed up in southern California during the afternoon of Oct. 15. Heavy rainfall from the storms triggered mudslides that trapped cars and led to the closure of Interstate 5 and State Route 58.
Both of the images are from Oct. 15, but the one from later in the day shows how the thunderstorm clouds (white shadings) blossomed dramatically between the Palmdale, Bakersfield and Santa Maria labels.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Twin Typhoons

Shown near the center of this visible satellite image are the twin typhoons Koppu (LandoPH) and Champi on Oct. 17 (JST).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Northeast Cloud Pattern

This interesting pattern of clouds developed over the Northeast U.S. on the afternoon of Oct. 18. The clouds developed during the day in response to a cold upper-level system that moved through the region. Some of the clouds produced rain and snow showers.

(NASA)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dense Smoke in Indonesia

Dense smoke from wildfires over Indonesia on Oct. 21.

(NASA)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Champi's Large Eye

The very large eye of Typhoon Champi is shown in this satellite image from Oct. 22 (local time).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hurricane Patricia With 200 MPH Winds

Hurricane Patricia at its maximum intensity with 200 mph winds on the morning of Oct. 23 from Suomi NPP satellite's VIIRS instrument. Patricia was the most powerful hurricane ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere.

(NOAA)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hurricane Patricia's Eye

The eye of Hurricane Patricia on Oct. 23 as it approached the coast of Mexico as a Category 5. Notice how you can see the ocean's surface below the eye.

(NASA)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Patricia's Remnants Impact the U.S.

The remnants of Hurricane Patricia combined with another weather system over the southern U.S. to result in the development of a low pressure system shown in this water vapor image from Oct. 26. Parts of the South saw rain, gusty winds, and coastal flooding in the final week of October from the low. Ahead of the low, you can see the moist air shaded green and white, while dry air shaded orange and red punches in from the West.

(NASA)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trio of Low Pressure Systems

In this water vapor image you can see three separate areas of low pressure near the west coast of Europe on Oct. 25. The largest and most intense of those lows is located at the top center of the image. A twin pair of smaller lows are located near the coast of Portugal and northwest Africa.