Images
February 6, 2026 - Fog in the Canadian Rockies
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Thick wintertime fog filled the long valleys of British Columbia’s Rocky Mountains in early February 2026. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this false-color image of a spectacularly foggy morning on February 5.
This type of image uses a combination of infrared and visible light that is particularly helpful in separating cloud and fog (which is low-lying cloud) and snow. In true-color images, both would appear white. Here, however, snow looks electric blue while fog appears dull white and high, cold clouds that contain ice crystals are white tinted with pale electric blue. In addition, vegetation shows up as bright green.
Valley fog is common in these mountains, especially in cool weather. On clear winter nights, the ground and overlying air cool off rapidly, especially at high elevations. Cold air is denser than warm air, and it sinks down into the valleys. The moist air in the valleys gets chilled to its dew point—the temperature to which an air mass must be cooled for the water vapor in it to condense into liquid droplets—and fog forms. If undisturbed by winds, such fog may persist for days.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 2/5/2026
Resolutions:
1km (729.9 KB), 500m (1.7 MB), 250m (2.3 MB)
Bands Used: 7,2,1
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Thick wintertime fog filled the long valleys of British Columbia’s Rocky Mountains in early February 2026. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this false-color image of a spectacularly foggy morning on February 5.
This type of image uses a combination of infrared and visible light that is particularly helpful in separating cloud and fog (which is low-lying cloud) and snow. In true-color images, both would appear white. Here, however, snow looks electric blue while fog appears dull white and high, cold clouds that contain ice crystals are white tinted with pale electric blue. In addition, vegetation shows up as bright green.
Valley fog is common in these mountains, especially in cool weather. On clear winter nights, the ground and overlying air cool off rapidly, especially at high elevations. Cold air is denser than warm air, and it sinks down into the valleys. The moist air in the valleys gets chilled to its dew point—the temperature to which an air mass must be cooled for the water vapor in it to condense into liquid droplets—and fog forms. If undisturbed by winds, such fog may persist for days.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 2/5/2026
Resolutions:
1km (729.9 KB), 500m (1.7 MB), 250m (2.3 MB)
Bands Used: 7,2,1
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
