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May 25, 2022 - Snow in Lethoso
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A winter-like storm swept across parts of South Africa and Lesotho from May 19-23, 2022, bringing cold temperatures, rain, and even early snow to the highlands. As the skies cleared on May 23, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of a blanket of bright white snow in the highlands of Lesotho, including the Drakensburg Mountains along the southeastern border with South Africa, and the Maluti Mountains in the interior of Lesotho.
According to a report by South Africa Today, snow fell at the Afriski Holiday resort, at Sani Pass, and the Letseng Mine in Lesotho. Other media reported that the Sani Pass was closed for a time during the worst of the snowfall. The Sani Pass is a steep, difficult road that passes between Underberg, in the west of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and Mokhotlong, in eastern Lesotho. The Pass is often closed in poor weather, and travel even in the best weather requires 4x4 vehicles. Winter begins on June 21 in the Southern Hemisphere and ends on September 23, and often brings heavy and long-lasting snow, especially to the mountains of Lesotho. Snow in May is early and unusual but does occasionally occur.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 5/23/2022
Resolutions:
1km (225.7 KB), 500m (568.1 KB), 250m (365.1 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
A winter-like storm swept across parts of South Africa and Lesotho from May 19-23, 2022, bringing cold temperatures, rain, and even early snow to the highlands. As the skies cleared on May 23, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of a blanket of bright white snow in the highlands of Lesotho, including the Drakensburg Mountains along the southeastern border with South Africa, and the Maluti Mountains in the interior of Lesotho.
According to a report by South Africa Today, snow fell at the Afriski Holiday resort, at Sani Pass, and the Letseng Mine in Lesotho. Other media reported that the Sani Pass was closed for a time during the worst of the snowfall. The Sani Pass is a steep, difficult road that passes between Underberg, in the west of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and Mokhotlong, in eastern Lesotho. The Pass is often closed in poor weather, and travel even in the best weather requires 4x4 vehicles. Winter begins on June 21 in the Southern Hemisphere and ends on September 23, and often brings heavy and long-lasting snow, especially to the mountains of Lesotho. Snow in May is early and unusual but does occasionally occur.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 5/23/2022
Resolutions:
1km (225.7 KB), 500m (568.1 KB), 250m (365.1 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
