A potent winter storm plowed across the eastern half of the United States on January 9, 2024, delivering heavy rain and snow, strong winds, and damaging tornadoes.
A potent winter storm plowed across the eastern half of the United States on January 9, 2024, delivering heavy rain and snow, strong winds, and damaging tornadoes. That afternoon, the VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) on the NOAA-20 satellite acquired this natural-color image (above) of the sprawling storm clouds.
The system spawned abundant precipitation, which fell as snow on the storm’s colder side. According to the National Weather Service, parts of Iowa saw snowfall totals of up to 15 inches (38 centimeters). Warmer areas, such as the Mid-Atlantic, saw several inches of rain. The water caused rivers in the Northeast to rise to flood stage, and forced people living along the Yantic River in New Jersey and Connecticut to evacuate, according to news reports.
Earlier in the day, around 10:45 a.m. Eastern Time (15:45 Universal Time), the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired the detailed image below. This false-color image highlights infrared observations of brightness temperature, which helps distinguish the shape and temperature of the clouds. White and light-purple cloud tops are cooler than dark-purple and yellow surfaces.
Read more at NASA Earth Observatory
Photo Credit: noah210 via Pixabay
