Areas of Extreme Heat and Fire Weather in the Northwest U.S.; Heavy Rain in the West and South-central U.S.

Extreme heat will continue in the interior Northwest into midweek before finally waning. Hot temperatures, dry, gusty winds, and isolated dry thunderstorms will bring critical fire weather. Heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected across portions of the Great Basin, Rockies, and central/southern Plains. An atmospheric river will bring heavy rain and strong winds to southwest Alaska. 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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Areas of Extreme Heat and Fire Weather in the Northwest U.S.; Heavy Rain in the West and South-central U.S.

Pagami Wildfire Burn Scar Seen By Satellite