Our snow cover, seen from orbit
Here's a way-cool photo, shot yesterday by one of NASA's Earth Observing satellites, of the northeastern United States in the wake of the Dec. 5 snowstorm that swept across Maryland's northern counties. It was a sunny day, so the white you're seeing on the ground is snow cover. The white streaks out over the ocean are clouds.
I'm guessing the white on Lake Ontario is clouds, too - lake-effect snow in the air? Too early in the season for ice there.
My only complaint about these images is that NASA always feels compelled to superimpose the states' boundaries. I'd rather see it the way visiting aliens see the place. Here's more.
And here's the latest snow-cover animation from NOAA, showing the advance of wintry weather from the north over the last month. Cool. Look at the ice advance across Hudson's Bay.
