The following image is a series of satellite sensed wind retrievals from the Advance Scatterometer (ASCT) over the Pacific Ocean from about 0600Z through 1200Z. Yellow colors indicate gale force winds (34 knots or greater), brown indicates storm force winds (48 knots or greater) and red indicates hurricane force winds (64 knots or greater). The ASCT imagery clearly captured higher winds associated with strong low pressure in the central Pacific, south of the Aleutian Islands and strong low pressure in the western Pacific, east of Japan. ASCT is just one of the tools OPC uses when preparing the Atlantic and Pacific surface analysis charts (produced at 00Z, 06Z, 12Z and 18Z daily). (see our February 13 Facebook post)