January is typically the coldest and snowiest month of the year for Yellowstone Lake, which is both the largest lake in Yellowstone National Park and the largest high-elevation lake in North America.
January is typically the coldest and snowiest month of the year for Yellowstone Lake, which is both the largest lake in Yellowstone National Park and the largest high-elevation lake in North America. Cold weather usually ices the lake over by December, with ice thickness varying from a few inches to a few feet.
In January, snow really starts to pile up. By the end of the month, an average of 30 inches (76 centimeters) of snow blankets the lake, according to data compiled by the Western Regional Climate Center. Subsequent months bring even more snow, with an average of 41 inches piled onto the lake ice by March.
When an astronaut aboard the International Space Station snapped this photograph on January 26, 2022, a thick layer of snow adorned the lake. But deep below it, much warmer conditions lurked in certain areas. An array of underwater hot springs, hydrothermal vents, steam explosion craters, and siliceous spires dot the lake floor. One of the hydrothermal vents, just east of Stevenson Island and 410 feet (125 meters) below the lake surface, releases water that’s a remarkable 174°C (345°F), making it the hottest spring in Yellowstone National Park.
Read More: NASA Earth Observatory
Photo Credit: NASA Earth Observatory
