December 21, 2021 - Snow across the Great Basin
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Winter weather swept across California and the Great Basin, bringing
substantial snow to the Sierra Nevada and the Coast Range in the
closing month of 2021. On December 13, a frontal system merged with a
weak atmospheric river over Northern California, increasing the
duration of precipitation and snow depth. In higher elevations,
snowfall was measured in feet, not inches during the impressive event.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board
NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a false-color image showing widespread
snow in eastern California, Nevada, and Utah on December 19. Using
MODIS bands 7-2-1, this image shows snow as bright blue, vegetation as
green, and open land as tan or brown. Water appears deep blue and cloud
usually appears white, although high, cold cloud that contains ice
crystals may also have a bright blue tint.
The National Weather Service forecasts additional snowfall on December
21-26, thanks to a series of storms that will bring multiple rounds of
mountain snow and gusty winds to the region. A foot of snow is expected
on December 21 in the high elevations of the Coastal Range and Sierras,
and that is just for starters. Some locations may see up to 8 feet of
heavy, wet snow before the storms ease after December 26.
Image Facts
Satellite: Aqua
Date Acquired: 1/20/2021
Resolutions: 1km (1.2 MB), 500m (3.2 MB), 250m (8.9 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2021-12-21
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