GOES-R Cloud Thickness over California, 1445 UTC on 5 Feb 2013

GOES-R Cloud Thickness can be used to esimate when radiation fog will dissipate.   In this example from central California, radiation fog has developed to a depth of around 1000 feet near Hanford, 1000 feet just southwest of Fresno, and 1100 feet near Merced.  This chart shows the relationship between Cloud Thickness and burn-off time.  1000 feet correlates well with a 3-hour burn-off time;  1100 feet correlates well with a 4-hour burnoff time.  The animation below, with imagery at 1800, 1830, 1900 and 1930 UTC shows that the fog around Hanford was slow to burn off — by about an hour.  Fog near Merced was also slow to burn off, but high clouds moving in may have been responsible for that delay.

GOES-15 Visible Imagery over Central California.  Times as indicated.