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A week of winter weather, complete with snow, cold air, and gusty winds, brought additional snow across the Mountain West of the United States in mid-January 2025. On January 16, as skies cleared and clouds departed, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image highlighting the Rocky Mountains blanketed in snow.
The image centers on Wyoming, which is nearly completely covered in snow and clouds. Circling around Wyoming, from north and moving clockwise, are Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, and Idaho. Note that the front range of the Rocky Mountains near Denver, Colorado, has scant snow and looks green. Swaths of snow also lie on tan prairie in the eastern part of the image.
Local media reported that the stormy weather had resulted in excellent ski conditions across the region. In Colorado, snowpack was reported above average at Steamboat (103 percent of average) and at Winter Park (110 percent of average). Fresh snow also made skiers happy near Medicine Bow and the Snowy Range, in Wyoming. At the northern end of the Snowy Range, 62 inches (157.5 cm) of snow was reported on January 16, an increase of 11 inches (28 cm) from the previous week. The station at Medicine Bow Peak, at 10,500 feet, noted an increase of 7 inches (18 cm), bringing its totals to 76 inches (193 cm).
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 1/16/2025
Resolutions:
1km (1 MB), 500m (3.1 MB), 250m (4.9 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC