Snow in the Northeastern United States

Snow cover sprawled across the northeastern United States in early March 2013. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this natural-color image on March 9. Snow cover stretched from West Virginia into Canada, and from the western shore of Lake Ontario to the Atlantic Ocean.

The snow cover lingered in the wake of another winter nor'easter. Meteorologist Jeff Masters of Weather Underground noted that while the storm was bringing significant snowfall to the eastern United States, the storm center was roughly 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) east-southeast of New York City. The storm’s sheer size—roughly 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) across—enabled it to affect such a large area.

The storm deposited more than 6 inches (15 centimeters) of snow cover on 17 states, coating the Plains and Midwest before heading east. Some of the highest snowfall totals occurred in the Appalachian Mountains, including 24 inches (61 centimeters) in Franklin, West Virginia.

Snow wasn’t the only hazard posed by the storm; parts of the Massachusetts coast also suffered a storm surge. Arriving during the morning high tide cycle on March 8, the surge led to street flooding, structure damage, and erosion.

1. References

2. Masters, J. (2013, March 8) Sprawling Nor’easter still bringing heavy snow, damaging coastal floods. Accessed March 12, 2013.
3. Weather.com (2013, March 9) Photos: Winter Storm Saturn. Accessed March 12, 2013.
4. Weather Underground (2013, March 7) Winter Storm Saturn. Accessed March 12, 2013.

NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE MODIS Rapid Response. Caption by Michon Scott.

Instrument: 

Terra - MODIS - NASA

Record Snowfall in North Texas

 

The winter of 2012-2013 has been marked by powerful snowstorms with record-setting snowfall throughout much of the Midwestern United States. This astronaut photograph features the southern high plains of north Texas, directly south of the city of Amarillo (off the image to the north). The snowstorm that passed through this area left a record snowfall of approximately 43 centimeters (17 inches).

In this photo from the International Space Station, snow blankets the city of Canyon, Texas. Urban street grids and stream channels appear etched into the landscape by the snow, a result of both melting and street clearing in the urban regions and of the incised nature of stream channels in the surrounding plains.

Agricultural fields are easily identified due to the even snow cover broken only by roadways between the fields. Palo Duro Canyon is largely free of snow along the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River channel and at lower elevations, allowing the red sedimentary rocks of the canyon walls to be visible.

Lake Tanglewood, a reservoir to the northeast of Canyon appears dark due to a lack of ice cover. Another dark region to the northwest of Canyon is a feed yard for cattle; any snowfall is this area has been removed by the actions of the livestock.

• Other images of recent snowfall in the Midwestern U.S.

• Another Snowstorm Strikes Western States (February 25, 2013)
• Winter Storm Across Central United States (February 23, 2013)
• Nighttime View of Snow across the United States (February 22, 2013)
Astronaut photograph ISS034-E-57550 was acquired on February 28, 2013, with a Nikon D3S digital camera using a 400 millimeter lens, and is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations experiment and Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, Johnson Space Center. The image was taken by the Expedition 34 crew. It has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast, and lens artifacts have been removed. The International Space Station Program supports the laboratory as part of the ISS National Lab to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA/JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. Caption by William L. Stefanov, Jacobs/ESCG at NASA-JSC.



Instrument: 

ISS - Digital Camera

Another Snowstorm Strikes Western States

Following on the heels of another storm, heavy snow fell on Colorado and neighboring states on February 24, 2013. On February 25, the Denver/Boulder Forecast Office of the National Weather Service reported preliminary snow totals from the area, including 27.2 inches (69.1 centimeters) west of Denver, and blizzard conditions east of the city. Like the previous storm, this one continued moving eastward.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this image on February 25, 2013. In the wake of the storms, snow extended across Colorado and Wyoming, and covered parts of Utah, New Mexico, and Nebraska. Although clouds had cleared in the west, cloud cover lingered in southeastern Colorado, western Kansas, and the Oklahoma Panhandle. The day after MODIS acquired this image, a new round of snow moved into the region.

1. References

2. National Weather Service, Denver/Boulder, Colorado. (2013, February 25) Local storm report. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. February 26, 2013.
3. Sagliani, A. (2013, February 26) Snowstorm clogs Missouri, Illinois highways. AccuWeather.com. Accessed February 26, 2013.

NASA image courtesy LANCE MODIS Rapid Response. Caption by Michon Scott.

Instrument: 

Terra - MODIS

Early February Blizzard Buries Northeastern U.S.

A remarkably powerful blizzard brought heavy snow and strong winds to the northeastern portion of the United States on February 9, 2013. A collision of cold air from Canada with moist air from the Gulf of Mexico brought snowfalls that extended from northern New Jersey through Maine. The storm system was a typical winter storm system pattern known as a “nor‘easter”, but the weather conditions were far from typical, with snowfall totals not seen since a record blizzard in 1978. Some of the heaviest snowfalls were recorded in southern Connecticut where totals over 30 inches (90 cm) were reported in several cities, including nearly one meter (38 inches) in Milford, according to the National Weather Service.

The Suomi NPP satellite observed the storm system at around 2:17 pm local time (17:17 UTC) on February 9 as the storm system was sweeping out to sea off Cape Cod, leaving a wake of snow on the ground behind it. The classical spiral pattern in the clouds was centered well off to shore, but storm clouds extended up the entire northeastern coast, while clearing skies over northern New Jersey and southern New York revealed a snow-covered landscape.

References

• Recent Snowfall and Snow Depth Maps. NOAA/National Weather Service maps. Accessed February 9, 2013.
• Rodgers, M. (Feb 9, 2013). Wicked Winter Wonderland for Northeast, especially New England, Capital Weather Gang, Washington Post. Accessed February 9, 2013.

NASA Earth Observatory image by Jesse Allen, using VIIRS data from the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership. Suomi NPP is the result of a partnership between NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Department of Defense. Data provided courtesy of the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS). Caption by Jesse Allen

Instrument: 

Suomi NPP - VIIRS - NASA

Snow across the Northeastern United States

A nor’easter struck the northeastern United States on February 8–9, 2013, depositing snow across multiple states. After the clouds cleared on February 9, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this natural-color image. Snow blanketed the ground from the East Coast westward past the Great Lakes, and a band of snow stretched southward into West Virginia.
The powerful storm brought not only heavy snow but also strong winds, downing trees and power lines along the U.S. East Coast. Some of the heaviest snowfall occurred in New England, with some areas receiving nearly 3 feet (1 meter) of snow, according to unofficial totals released by the National Weather Service.

1. References

2. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2013, February 7) Know the dangers of nor’easters. Accessed February 11, 2013.
3. National Weather Service. (2013, February 10) Public Information Statement: Spotter Reports. Accessed February 11, 2013.

NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE MODIS Rapid Response. Caption by Michon Scott.

Instrument: 

Aqua - MODIS - NASA

Snow across Great Britain

Snow blanketed most of Great Britain in late January 2013, stretching from London to the northern tip of Scotland. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this natural-color image on January 26, 2013. Only some coastal areas and the southwestern part of the island were free of snow when MODIS took this picture. Skies had mostly cleared by the time MODIS acquired the image, but some clouds lingered in the west, casting shadows onto the snowy surface below.
On January 25, The Telegraph reported that the death toll from the storm was in the double digits, some of the deaths resulting from hazardous driving conditions. As of that date, more snowfall was expected, including near-blizzard conditions in parts of Scotland. Forecasters called for rain to follow the snow, with as much as 40 millimeters (1.6 inches) of rain in western Britain.

1. References

2. Morris, S. (2013, January 24) Heavy rain and melting snow expected to cause floods. The Guardian. Accessed January 28, 2013.
3. Philipson, A. (2013, January 25) Final heavy snowfall to hit before floods. The Telegraph. Accessed January 28, 2013.

NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE MODIS Rapid Response. Caption by Michon Scott.

Instrument: 

Terra - MODIS - NASA

Floods in Israel

After heavy rains, a deadly snow storm has hit parts of Israel, Palestine and Jordon causing power outages, structural and agricultural damage and death.

Since Thursday, at least 4inches (10cm) of snow has fallen in Jordan. Thousands of people are living in refugee camps due to freezing weather conditions.

Reportedly, two fatalities occurred in Lebanon during a flash flood. At least 46 people have been injured in road accidents across Jordan.

Several roads and schools have also been closed. Rescue efforts are on-going in the worst affected areas. The authorities are working alongside the army to help and rescue those severely stranded.

Middle Eastern Meteorological officials claim this disaster to be the worst storm to hit the region in 10 years.

- Disaster Charter

Rocky Mountain Snow

In time for the 2012 winter solstice, a storm dropped snow over most of the Rocky Mountains in the United States. On December 20, the National Weather Service reported snow depths exceeding 100 centimeters (39 inches) in some places—the result of the recent snowfall plus accumulation from earlier storms.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this natural-color image on December 19, 2012. Clouds had mostly cleared from the region, though some cloud cover lingered over parts of the Pacific Northwest and Colorado. Showing more distinct contours than the clouds, the snow cover stretched across the Rocky Mountains and the surrounding region, from Idaho to Arizona and from California to Colorado.

Snowfall did not stop in Colorado, as the storm continued moving eastward across the Midwest. By December 20, 2012, a combination of heavy snow and strong winds had closed schools, iced roads, and delayed flights, complicating plans for holiday travelers.

Though troublesome for travel, the snow brought much-needed moisture; multiple cities had set new records for consecutive days without measurable snow, CBS news reported. As of December 18, the U.S. Drought Monitor stated that a substantial portion of the continental United States continued to suffer from drought, and “exceptional” drought conditions extended from South Dakota to southern Texas.

1. Reference

2. CBS News. (2012, December 20) Snowstorm blows out of Rockies, into Midwest. Accessed December 20, 2012.
3. National Weather Service. (2012, December 20) National Snow Analyses. Accessed December 20, 2012.
4. University of Nebraska-Lincoln. (2012, December 18) U.S. Drought Monitor. Accessed December 20, 2012.

NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE MODIS Rapid Response. Caption by Michon Scott.

Instrument: 

Aqua - MODIS - NASA

Agricultural Fields Under Snow, China

This astronaut photograph highlights hundreds of rectangular fields on either side of a 36-kilometer (22-mile) stretch of the Songhua River. Some fields are easier to see than others due to the winter snow cover. The braided Songhua joins with the Amur River about 40 kilometers (25 miles) downstream, at the border with Russia. Numerous villages also appear as small gray polygons. Broad floodplains can be recognized on both sides of the river, occupied by fewer fields and almost no villages.

The town of Suibing stands out as a larger gray patch on the banks of the river. A significant 300 meter-high hill south of the river throws midmorning shadows. The region is one of the most heavily cultivated in northeastern China, with corn, soybeans, and sorghum being major crops. The areas of varying whiteness cover may correlate with zones of different crops and forest cover (for example, on the hill in the center part of the image). The degree to which fallow fields are cleared of vegetation may also affect the apparent snow brightness.

Astronaut photograph ISS033-E-22759 was acquired on November 18, 2012, with a Nikon D3S digital camera using a 400 millimeter lens, and is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations experiment and Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, Johnson Space Center. The image was taken by the Expedition 33 crew. It has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast, and lens artifacts have been removed. The International Space Station Program supports the laboratory as part of the ISS National Lab to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA/JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. Caption by M. Justin Wilkinson, Jacobs/ESCG at NASA-JSC.

Instrument: 

ISS - Digital Camera - NASA

Snow in New Mexico

A winter weather front passed through New Mexico on December 9, 2012, dropping heavy snow, causing accidents, and closing roads. Local ski resorts welcomed the snow, Albuquerque news station KRQE said. Prior to the storm, dry conditions had prompted some ski resort managers to consider allowing mountain biking on ski trails.

The snow faded quickly in lower elevations, as these natural-color images from December 10 show. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured the top image in the morning, and MODIS on the Aqua satellite captured the bottom image in the afternoon. In the three hours and 15 minutes between the image acquisitions, snow retreated most obviously in the southeast. But reduced snow cover occurred on either side of the mountainous “spine” extending north-south through southern Colorado and New Mexico.

Clouds extend across the top edges of both high-resolution images.

1. References

2. Associated Press. (2012, December 9) Arctic front brings heavy snow to northern NM. Accessed December 11, 2012.
3. KRQE. (2012, December 10) Storm boost northern NM ski areas. Accessed December 11, 2012.

NASA images courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE MODIS Rapid Response. Caption by Michon Scott.

Instrument: 

Terra - MODIS - NASA

Snow in the Northeastern United States

In early November 2012, a wintery nor’easter followed on the heels of Hurricane Sandy. When that second storm cleared out of the region, it left behind snow stretching from New Jersey to Massachusetts. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this natural-color view of the region on November 9, 2012.
The National Weather Service’s Philadelphia / Mt. Holly (N.J.) forecast office reported that snowfall from the storm was “considerably worse than forecast for portions of northern and central New Jersey,” but less than forecast in other areas.
From the vantage point of MODIS, snowfall was the visible impact of the storm. But the areas blanketed in white were not the only ones affected by the storm. The National Weather Service also observed wind gusts up to 65 miles (105 kilometers) per hour; high waves and minor coastal flooding in New Jersey and Delaware; and 1.5 inches (4 centimeters) of rain along the New Jersey coast. Similar conditions were reported in coastal New England.
The nor’easter hit areas already struggling in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, including those suffering through ongoing power outages. The Associated Press reported that tens of thousands of customers in New York and New Jersey remained without electricity two weeks after Sandy’s landfall.

1. References

2. Associated Press. (2012, November 12) Many on NY’s Long Island still dark after Sandy. Accessed November 12, 2012.
3. Szatkowski, G. (2012, November 8) Weather briefing: Strong Coastal Nor’easter, November 7–8, 2012. (PDF file) National Weather Service Philadelphia / Mt. Holly, New Jersey, Forecast Office. Accessed November 12, 2012.

NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC. Caption by Michon Scott.

Instrument: 

Aqua - MODIS - NASA

Snow and gales hit Europe, 4 dead

Hurricane-force winds lashed southern France today, damaging a ferry off Marseille and leading to the disappearance of two people. (Sylvain Thomas, AFP)

Paris - Snow and gales hit France and Switzerland over the weekend, possibly leading to the death of a homeless man in Paris, while searches continued for a missing windsurfer and a 12-year-old British boy who vanished Saturday in the south of France while cycling in a gale.

His bicycle is reported to have been found but there are fears he was swept away by strong winds.

Freezing temperatures killed three men in their fifties in Poland. Quoted by the Polish press agency PAP police said that two of them had been under the influence of alcohol, and the third man was said to be homeless.

The homeless man, a 59-year-old former foreign legionnaire well-known in the neighbourhood and said to be in poor health, was found dead in northern Paris where temperatures dipped to near 0°C z instead of the usual seasonal 7°C. He was thought to have died from the cold.

Hurricane-force winds lashed southern France, damaging a ferry off Marseille which slipped its anchor and hit a quay. The hull was holed and two watertight compartments flooded. The ship has a 15° list while waiting to be righted.

Almost 30 000 households in the south of France were without power.

In Switzerland trees were toppled by high winds, rail services were interrupted and the emergency services received hundreds of calls as winter made an early appearance.

Almost 10 centimetres of snow fell in some parts late on Saturday night. Many drivers failed to anticipate the onset of winter and fit appropriate tyres and there were scores of accidents in the canton of Bern alone in a 24-hour period, though no serious casualties were reported.

- SAPA/News24

Snow in Northeastern China

Snow fell over a wide area of northeastern China in late October 2012. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this natural-color image on October 23, 2012. As MODIS passed overhead, a fresh layer of snow stretched from the coast bordering the Sea of Japan westward about 1,440 kilometers (900 miles).
The band of snow encompassed Jilin City, the former capital of the province of the same name. News reports discussed heavy, wet snow falling across Jilin Province on October 22, 2012. AccuWeather reported that the storm left some regions with slushy streets and snow on grassy areas. Snow weighed down trees still loaded with leaves. On October 22, AccuWeather reported that the storm that dropped snow across northeastern China also produced rain over the Korean Peninsula, and was moving eastward toward northern Japan and the Kamchatka Peninsula.

1. References

2. Andrews, J. (2012, October 22) Snow in northeast China, Canada; Australia heat streams south. AccuWeather. Accessed October 23, 2012.
3. Xinhua. (2012, October 22) Most parts of China’s Jilin witness snowfall. Global Times. Accessed October 23, 2012.
4. Xinhua. (2012, October 22) Snow warning issued as cold front grips N. China. China Daily. Accessed October 23, 2012.

NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC. Caption by Michon Scott.

Instrument: 

Terra - MODIS - NASA

Snow on the Cape Mountains

Snow this morning in Banghoek valley near Tokara. No wonder it is so cold - Miles Mossop

Photo: Drakensberg Snow (15 September 2012)

Cold and rainy all day. Clouds lifted to show Cathkin and Champagne with snow cover. Observer: Francis Lanham Proudfoot

Images: Snowfall - Drakensberg Mountains (15 September 2012)

@SAWDOS1- courtesy of @Camish52 snow at Cathedral Peak today

Cathedral Peak Hotel Web Cam

Sani Mountain Lodge ‏@Briansanipass - Still snowing , people still getting up the pass

Map - Snow Forecast: South Africa

Image: Snow-forecast.com (Click on image for larger view.)

School snow damage assessed

KZN Education says plans are underway to repair schools that were damaged by severe weather conditions two weeks ago.

Around 400 schools cancelled classes for several days earlier this month due to heavy snowfall and rain.

While most of the schools were able to re-open several days later, six in the Pinetown area and Umgungundlovu District were badly damaged when their roofs and walls collapsed.

The department's Muzi Mahlambi says classes have since resumed, however, principals have had to shuffle pupils around as parts of the schools are unusable.

Two of the damaged schools are high schools.

"Our infrastructure guys have been to the districts to ascertain the extent of the damage. We are hoping that we'll get their report very shortly.

"We are prioritising the matter because some of these schools are high schools; so we want by the time we start to write exams to have the full compliment of classes, so that we are able to spread students across all the classrooms," he said.

- East Coast Radio News

Image: Snowfall at SALT in Sutherland (16 August 2012 08h08 SAST)

Image: Solaris - Sutherland (Click on image for larger view.)

Image: Weather Webcam - Sutherland (15 August 2012 08h22 SAST)

Image: Solaris - Sutherland (Click on image for larger view.)