MODIS-derived (from Terra and Aqua satellites) Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF), above, (as noted in this blog post), shows the (meager) snow distribution as of early December. How many counties (or parishes) in the United States (out of more than 3000!) are clearly delineated in Satellite Imagery such as what is shown... Read More

GOES-16 (GOES-East) “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) and Near-Infrared “Snow/Ice” (1.61 µm) images (above) revealed the formation of several “hole punch” features across southeastern Wisconsin, northeastern Illinois and Lake Michigan on 22 November 2021 . These cloud features were caused by aircraft that were either ascending or descending through a relatively thin layer of clouds... Read More

On the morning of Sunday, November 7th, numerous elongated hole punch clouds were visible over the Upper Midwest, including parts of Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota. Also called fall streak clouds, these are a relatively rare phenomenon that form because of the unusual properties of cloud droplets.While most people know... Read More

A MODIS-based true-color cloud-free image, above, from SSEC’s Real Earth (link) shows a distinct lack of snow cover — for early November!!! — over the USA and Canada. These BRDF (Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function) fields account for sun angle, viewing angle and surface type; data over the past 16 days are used in... Read More