GPM Observes Snow Storm over Kentucky, West Virginia, and North Carolina (Feb. 17, 2015)

  • Released Thursday, February 26th, 2015
  • Updated Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023 at 1:49PM
  • ID: 4278

Animation depicting a snowstorm over Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina. A slicing plane reveals the inside of the storm, showing where the precipitation switches from rain (yellow, green, and red) to snow and ice (light blue and purple).
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The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Satellite captured a 3-D image of a winter storm on Feb. 17 that left six to 12 inches of snow over much of Kentucky, southwestern West Virginia, and northwestern North Carolina. The shades of blue in the 3-D image indicate rates of snowfall with more intense snowfall shown in darker blue. Underneath where it melts into rain, the most intense rainfall is shown in red. You can see a lot of variation in precipitation types over the Southeastern portion of the United States.

The GPM Core Observatory carries two instruments that show the location and intensity of rain and snow, which defines a crucial part of the storm structure – and how it will behave. The GPM Microwave Imager sees through the tops of clouds to observe how much and where precipitation occurs, and the Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar observes precise details of precipitation in 3-dimensions.

GPM data is part of the toolbox of satellite data used by forecasters and scientists to understand how storms behave. GPM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Current and future data sets are available with free registration to users from NASA Goddard's Precipitation Processing Center website.

Color bar for frozen precipitation rates (eg, snow rates). Shades of cyan represent low amounts of frozen precipitation, whereas shades of purple represent high amounts of precipitation.

Color bar for frozen precipitation rates (eg, snow rates). Shades of cyan represent low amounts of frozen precipitation, whereas shades of purple represent high amounts of precipitation.

Color bar for liquid precipitation rates (ie, rain rates). Shades of green represent low amounts of liquid precipitation, whereas shades of red represent high amounts of precipitation.

Color bar for liquid precipitation rates (ie, rain rates). Shades of green represent low amounts of liquid precipitation, whereas shades of red represent high amounts of precipitation.

Print resolution still showing the Feb 17th, 2015 snowstorm over Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina (depicted using GPM/GMI precipitation measurements and DPR data)

Print resolution still showing the Feb 17th, 2015 snowstorm over Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina (depicted using GPM/GMI precipitation measurements and DPR data)

Print resolution still showing GPM/GMI precipitation measurements and DPR data for the storm

Print resolution still showing GPM/GMI precipitation measurements and DPR data for the storm

Print resolution still of a slicing plane revealing the storm’s inner volumetric rain and snow rates.

Print resolution still of a slicing plane revealing the storm’s inner volumetric rain and snow rates.

Print resolution still of a slicing plane revealing the storm’s inner volumetric rain and snow rates.

Print resolution still of a slicing plane revealing the storm’s inner volumetric rain and snow rates.

Print resolution still depicting a side view of the storm with a slicing plane revealing volumetric rain and snow rates.

Print resolution still depicting a side view of the storm with a slicing plane revealing volumetric rain and snow rates.

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NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio

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