Let It Snow

  • Released Tuesday, December 27, 2011
  • Updated Thursday, December 3, 2015 at 12:35PM
  • ID: 10850
The advance-and-retreat cycle of snow cover drastically changes the whiteness and brightness of Earth.

The advance-and-retreat cycle of snow cover drastically changes the whiteness and brightness of Earth.

Seasonal snow cover waxes and wanes across the globe from Sept. 2010 to Aug. 2011.

At the height of winter in North America snow cover can stretch from the Arctic Circle to the southeastern United States.

The difference in the Northern Hemisphere's minimum and maximum snow cover drastically alters the reflectivity of the Earth.

The difference in the Northern Hemisphere's minimum and maximum snow cover drastically alters the reflectivity of the Earth.

Heavy snow cover blanketed the U.S. from the Great Lakes to the Deep South on Feb. 11, 2011.

Heavy snow cover blanketed the U.S. from the Great Lakes to the Deep South on Feb. 11, 2011.

A massive snowstorm covered much of continental Europe and the United Kingdom on Dec. 29, 2010.

A massive snowstorm covered much of continental Europe and the United Kingdom on Dec. 29, 2010.

The Himalayan and Tian Shan mountain ranges, as well as much of Siberia, had a heavy coat of snow on Feb. 28, 2010.

The Himalayan and Tian Shan mountain ranges, as well as much of Siberia, had a heavy coat of snow on Feb. 28, 2010.

NASA scientists use satellite data to produce daily snow cover maps. One of their biggest hurdles: distinguishing between white clouds and snow.

NASA scientists use satellite data to produce daily snow cover maps. One of their biggest hurdles: distinguishing between white clouds and snow.

This mostly cloud-covered map from the MODIS Snow & Sea Ice Global Mapping Project shows snow cover from the same day as the previous image.

This mostly cloud-covered map from the MODIS Snow & Sea Ice Global Mapping Project shows snow cover from the same day as the previous image.

For More Information

See NASA.gov

Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Images courtesy of Dorothy Hall (NASA GSFC) and Jeff Miller(NASA GSFC/Wyle Information Systems)

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