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May 4, 2025 - Clouds over Lake Superior
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A passing cold front brought gusting winds, cold temperatures, and spectacular clouds to the upper Midwest on April 29, 2025. As the cold front passed over Lake Superior, northwesterly winds whipped across the lake, carrying gusts up to 40 miles per hour (64 km/h) and driving massive waves, according to local media. Frost and freeze warnings were raised in Minnesota and Michigan as well as Severe Thunderstorm Warnings.
The front continued eastward, ultimately bringing extreme and destructive winds to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that same evening. According to the National Weather Service, wind gusts greater than 80 miles per hour (96.5 km/h) created widespread damage in Pittsburgh, snapping trees and downing power lines. Local media reported at least two deaths and thousands of homes left without power.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image of a bank of complex and dramatic clouds over Lake Superior on April 29. The bank stretches from southern Ontario, Canada to central Wisconsin, United States and completely obscures most of Ontario, northeastern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, and northern Michigan. Waves within the cloud layer suggest turbulence, most likely associated with the gusting winds.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 4/29/2025
Resolutions:
1km (487.3 KB), 500m (1.3 MB), 250m (1 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
A passing cold front brought gusting winds, cold temperatures, and spectacular clouds to the upper Midwest on April 29, 2025. As the cold front passed over Lake Superior, northwesterly winds whipped across the lake, carrying gusts up to 40 miles per hour (64 km/h) and driving massive waves, according to local media. Frost and freeze warnings were raised in Minnesota and Michigan as well as Severe Thunderstorm Warnings.
The front continued eastward, ultimately bringing extreme and destructive winds to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that same evening. According to the National Weather Service, wind gusts greater than 80 miles per hour (96.5 km/h) created widespread damage in Pittsburgh, snapping trees and downing power lines. Local media reported at least two deaths and thousands of homes left without power.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image of a bank of complex and dramatic clouds over Lake Superior on April 29. The bank stretches from southern Ontario, Canada to central Wisconsin, United States and completely obscures most of Ontario, northeastern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, and northern Michigan. Waves within the cloud layer suggest turbulence, most likely associated with the gusting winds.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 4/29/2025
Resolutions:
1km (487.3 KB), 500m (1.3 MB), 250m (1 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
