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Record Setting US Snowstorm as Seen From Space

by Nancy Atkinson on December 21, 2009

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NASA Earth Observatory image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team.

A record-setting snowstorm that blanketed the US Atlantic coast snarled both road and air traffic as holiday travelers and shoppers were forced to stay home. In all, the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) reported 66 daily snow records in the northeastern United States were tied or broken over the weekend. Additionally, 21 monthly snow total records were tied or broken. Snowfall totals from 30 – 60 cm (1 to 2 feet) were commonplace.

This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite shows the Chesapeake Bay area cloaked in white on December 21, 2009, the first day of northern hemisphere winter. The winter solstice occurred Monday at 16:47 GMT (11:47 am EST). Learn more about the solstice on today’s 365 Days of Astronomy podcast, “December Solstice, Celebrating the Light” by Dr. Judith Young.

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The image above encompasses about 480 km (300 miles) lengthwise. The two big rivers near the center are the Susquehanna (north) and Potomac rivers, which flow into the Chesapeake Bay. Washington, D.C., sits alongside the Potomac, just north of the river’s hook-shaped curve. The inlet to the north is Delaware Bay.

Source: NASA’s Earth Observatory

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About

Nancy Atkinson is Universe Today's Senior Editor. She also is the host of the NASA Lunar Science Institute podcast and works with the Astronomy Cast and 365 Days of Astronomy podcasts. Nancy is also a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador.

Tagged as: Earth Observation

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  • ND

    According to NOAA

    “Notable temperature extremes in 2009 include southern Australia’s record-breaking heatwave during their summer months of January-February.”

    But it’s not worth talking to you because you’ll be ignoring facts aren’t you?

  • Spoodle58

    @ ND

    I am aware of the heatwave in South East Australia in early 2009, I have many friends and relatives living in the Melbourne area, the resulting bush fires claimed 173 lives, thankfully no one I knew was injured or worse.

    But are you aware that heatwaves even as bad as this years heatwave happened around 100 years ago in the South Eastern Australia.

    1895–96, South east – 437 deaths
    1907–08, South east – 246 deaths

    This information is from the ema.gov.au an Australian Government Group that monitors disasters in the country.

  • ND

    Spoodle58,

    You’re selectively taking short term highs and lows to argue against GW. This shows that you don’t understand what GW is about. Global temperatures have been studied by independent groups of climate scientists and their conclusions are clear.

    GW does not say there won’t be record lows in local and regional weather or even that a year may not average lower than the previous.

    Why am I even replying?

  • Spoodle58

    @ ND

    You are replying to enlighten me on the theory you currently have favour with, you need not of course.

    Taking temperature ranges in a global scale over millions of years, you will note and agree that the planet is quite cold at present.

    Yet GW theory implies that humans are warming the planet when natural events have in the past far exceeded temperature increases that humans would never be able to accomplish on its present industrial scale. For example at present humans input a mere 2.5% of the total amount of CO2 that goes into the atmosphere each year.

    Has it ever occurred to you that climate scientists might want to keep there jobs and improvise on some of the data to increase funding, and this is not theory, reports of climate scientists doing this has been made public, so don’t use the argument that climate scientists have studied GW.

    Dont forget also, The last 10 years have been cold compared to the previous 10, yet GW used the previous 10 to boost its theory support.

    Don’t let this annoy you too much also, I don’t burn tyres or drive a big car, I have always been careful to the environment, its just that GW theory is full of holes.

    Evening to you.

  • http://home.comcast.net/~jacobsdale/AquaFarmIN.pps Aqua

    @ ND Try this: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.nasa.gov%252Fmultimedia%252Fimagegallery%252Fimage_feature_1546.html&h=b74cc87bdd0a272d44114c223ac35a71&ref=mf

    NOW think about the extreme irony that GW (Global Warming) shares the same acronym as GW Bush = ACK! (A Climate Killer)

  • http://home.comcast.net/~jacobsdale/AquaFarmIN.pps Aqua

    Ooops.. rereading I find that I saw @ ND as part of SPOODLE 58′s comment (Screen height vs. scrolling misread). Apologies that I misaddressed my comment @ ND

  • Hon. Salacious B. Crumb

    The problem with really cold weather is that it increases population! It encourages people to stay longer in bed, leading to, um, more close encounters.
    It will be interesting to see in September 2010 the birthrate spike throughout US and much of Europe. (This will add even more in emissions and global warming then the current generation!)

  • Spoodle58

    @ Hon. Salacious B. Crumb

    Might be true but it would only amount to a increase in the thousands or hundred of thousands of a percent in terms of CO2 emissions etc.

    But also people will be traveling less and some business will not even be running, as for the new humans been made, people are also dying or becoming injured due to the cold.
    So in terms of numbers it may even itself out.

  • Hon. Salacious B. Crumb

    @Spoodle58;

    What you say is absolutely true. However, I was more thinking of a an entire human lifespan. With the population of the entire world increasing just add more strain on global warming.
    As to the “cuddling up in bed” , so to speak, I only added to comment for levity. (Good pastime though)

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