NASA: A “Surprisingly Average” Year for Sierra Snowpack The Sierra Nevada is known for its booms and busts regarding mountain snow. Last year, there was record-high snow, whereas the snowpack was low three years prior. After more than a decade of unusually wet or unusually dry years, the snowpack in the Sierra Nevada was close to normal in 2024. Related: California’s April Snow Survey Shows Above Average Snowpack […] SnowBrains | April 12, 2024 0 Comments
NASA: The Arctic is Getting Rainier The Arctic is known for its cold temperatures, which allow precipitation to fall as snow. But as temperatures warm, that snow is being replaced by rain. These changes can affect sea ice in the Arctic and weather patterns throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Related: NASA: Record Summer Melting Across Svalbard, Arctic Circle NASA scientists examined rainfall trends over the Arctic and […] SnowBrains | March 19, 2024 0 Comments
NASA: Melting Glaciers Are Destroying Climate Archives Glaciers are natural archives of past climate. In their frozen layers lies evidence of Earth’s changing temperature and atmospheric composition. But as the climate warms, some of the longest records of our changing planet are melting away. One such archive is the Corbassière glacier in Switzerland. The high-altitude glacier is situated on the flanks of Grand Combin, one of the […] SnowBrains | February 28, 2024 0 Comments
NASA Earth Observatory Captures Images of Recent Winter Storm Walloping the U.S. This article originally appeared on earthobservatory.nasa.gov 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 […] SnowBrains | January 17, 2024 0 Comments
NASA: Atmospheric River Flows into the Pacific Northwest A powerful atmospheric river streamed toward the U.S. Pacific Northwest in early December 2023. The long current of water vapor delivered warm, wet weather to much of western Washington and Oregon, toppling daily rainfall and temperature records and escalating flood and debris flow risks. Related: Atmospheric Rivers: How They Work, and How El Niño and La Niña Affect Them This […] Weather SnowBrains | December 6, 2023 0 Comments
NASA: Snowstorm Dumps Multiple Inches Across the Midwest As millions of Americans traveled home after the Thanksgiving holiday, a winter storm plowed across the upper Midwest. The storm dropped rain and snow on several states and caused delays for travelers. A streak of snow is visible from Kansas to Illinois in this image, acquired by the VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) sensor on the Suomi NPP satellite […] SnowBrains | November 28, 2023 0 Comments
NASA: America Darkened by the Moon’s Shadow On October 14, 2023, the Moon aligned with the Sun and Earth to produce an annular solar eclipse. The spectacle bathed millions of Americans in a lunar shadow as the Moon blocked the Sun’s rays. Related: Friday, April 13th, 2029 – The Day a Huge Asteroid Dubbed ‘God of Chaos’ Will Fly Underneath Our TV Satellites An annular eclipse occurs […] SnowBrains | October 18, 2023 0 Comments
Friday, April 13th, 2029 – The Day a Huge Asteroid Dubbed ‘God of Chaos’ Will Fly Underneath Our TV Satellites An enormous asteroid affectionately dubbed the ‘God of Chaos’ is set to fly so close to Earth that billions of people will be able to see it with the naked eye. The 1,100-foot wide monster has been named Apophis (the Egyptian God of Chaos) and will fly so close to earth that NASA once feared it was going to hit […] Brains SnowBrains | October 5, 2023 0 Comments