Topic:  Install of DO.15.03.00 software patch for GOES-19 and GOES-18

Date/Time Issued: January 12, 2026 2209 UTC

Product(s) or Data Impacted: GOES-R ABI Level 2 products 

Date/Time of Initial Impact: January 13, 2026 1700 UTC

Date/Time of Expected End: N/A

Length of Outage: N/A

Details/Specifics of Change: Effective January 13, 2026, GOES-R will implement a change to one of the incoming ancillary datasets used to construct its dynamic ancillary global snow mask. This daily snow mask is utilized during the generation of ABI L2 products.

The Near-Realtime Ice and Snow Extent (NISE) dataset that GOES-R uses and is based on the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program's (DMSP) Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder (SSMI/S), provided by the National Snow Ice and Data Center (NSIDC), will no longer be available after January 15, 2026. GOES-R is replacing that dataset with a new NSIDC NISE dataset based on the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer - 2 (AMSR-2) instrument.

Since the new NISE AMSR-2 dataset is designed to mimic the previous NISE SSMI/S dataset, no noticeable changes are expected in the GOES-R ABI L2 products as a result of this transition.

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