January 12, 2023 - Snowfall in the Alps

snowfall in the alps
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After a warm start to the New Year, the first substantial snow of 2023
fell across Europe’s iconic mountain range between January 8 and 9. The
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s
Terra satellite acquired a false-color image of the western section of
the Alps laden with fresh snow on January 10 (top). The lower Terra
MODIS images shows the same area just three days earlier, on January 7.
At that time, snow topped only the highest elevations while lower
slopes and valleys remain bare.

In this type of false-color image, MODIS bands 7,2,1 are used to help
differentiate snow from cloud and surrounding vegetation. Here, snow
appears bright electric blue, vegetation is green, bare ground looks
tan, and water shows up as deep blue or black. Most cloud will look
white, except for high, cold cloud that contains ice crystals, which
may be tinted with light electric blue.

Widespread high temperatures across the Alpine countries are being
blamed for a lack of snow. According to various media reports, on New
Years Eve overnight lows in France were measured at 11˚C (51.8˚F)—the
warmest on record for that date since record-keeping began n 1947.
Meanwhile, in Delemont, Switzerland, the early morning hours on January
1 brought temperatures of 19.3˚C (66.7˚F), setting a January record for
the north side of the Alps.

The high temperatures, along with rain in some areas, meant so little
snow that lower-elevation ski resorts have been unable to open, and
even made snow-making at the warmer locations impossible. The lack of
snow has even forced the cancellation of several World Cup ski
competitions held in early January. While a single snow event doesn’t
mean a white winter is now secure, the return of a little bit of winter
to the Alps is a much-welcomed event.

Image Facts
Satellite: Terra
Date Acquired: 1/10/2023
Resolutions: 1km (567.6 KB), 500m (1.6 MB), 250m (1 MB)
Bands Used: 7,2,1
Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC



https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2023-01-12

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