August 11, 2007 - Cloud Banks off the Coast of California

Cloud Banks off the Coast of California

The clear weather in the California and Nevada gives a good view of the valleys running down the length of the state of California - specifically the Sacramento Valley (north) that runs into the San Joaquin Valley (south). The cloud banks on the coast run from north of San Francisco down to Santa Barbara. The clouds even fill many of the bays along the coast line, including San Francisco Bay and Monterey Bay. Lake Tahoe is visible on the California/Nevada border near the top of the image.

This image was captured by the MODIS on the Terra satellite on August 9, 2007. There are a few active fires in the region, each shown by a small red dot.

Image Facts
Satellite: Terra
Date Acquired: 08/09/2007
Resolutions: 1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC