Tracking Late December Winter Storm Expected to Impact the Northern Plains through the Northeast U.S.

A winter storm system will rapidly intensify over the Midwest on Sunday and track through the Great Lakes on Monday. Periods of heavy snow are anticipated across the Upper Great Lakes late Sunday and continuing into Monday. At least 1/10 inch of ice accumulation is expected from a wintry mix across much of the interior Northeast U.S. starting Sunday afternoon. Read More >

On Saturday's visible satellite loop the Pagami Creek Wildfire burn scar was easily recognizable within the snow field. In visibile satellite the earth is "seen" by the satellite, like a camera.

Most times a snow field is depicted as white on visible satellite. You can discern the difference between a snow field and clouds because snow fields are stationary and clouds move when the satellite pictures are animated. However, you may have noticed that on visible satellite the dense snow pack over northeastern Minnesota and northwestern is usally not seen on visible satellite, although it is there. That is because the vast forests of the northland "hides" or shields the snow pack and the satellite cannot see it.

But, the large Pagami Creek Fire destroyed 93,000 acres of forest in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness of northeastern Minnesota in late summer and fall of 2011. Without those trees, the snow pack was easly seen on visible satellite photos today.

The animated satellite picture below shows the snow pack in the burn area. The yellow outline depicts the burn area.

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Tracking Late December Winter Storm Expected to Impact the Northern Plains through the Northeast U.S.

Pagami Wildfire Burn Scar Seen By Satellite