These are the awesome treats you could see from space today
From huge storms to tiny whirls, gawking at satellite imagery was a treat today
Our world is stunning in its beauty. One of the best things about following the weather every day is getting to see all the wondrous sights that humans could only dream of witnessing just a few generations ago.
Geostationary weather satellites give us a high-resolution view of our planet every few minutes. There’s always something out there to gawk at. Here are a few awesome things we could see from space today.
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A sprawling storm heading to the Arctic
The most stunning feature captured by the GOES-East satellite on Saturday was a hulking low-pressure system swirling over Atlantic Canada making its way north toward the Arctic.
It’s a storm that dominated North America’s weather for much of the past week. Ripping winds, destructive thunderstorms, and heavy snows accompanied the storm from its formation in Colorado until it crossed over Canada.
Several communities stateside likely saw all-time low air pressure records for the month of March. The storm even brought above-freezing temperatures as far north as Labrador—an unusual sight this early in the season.
Even though the storm is in its waning days of existence, its influence remains immense. Just take a look at that cold front draping across the Atlantic Ocean all the way to the subtropical latitudes.
Saharan dust complements the Sun’s dulcet glow
We (probably) won’t have to worry about storms in the Atlantic Ocean for a few months yet. But there’s always something interesting going on across the basin outside of hurricane season.
A quick glance east reveals a murky brown haze lingering in the skies off the western coast of Africa. That haze is Saharan dust! Strong easterly winds routinely send puffs of Saharan dust out over the open ocean. These intrusions of dry, dusty air are an important part of the environment’s health, providing nutrients to waters and soils alike.
A bit farther west, we can see the Sun’s reflection in the Pacific Ocean off the northwestern coast of South America. We’re getting closer to the equinox, and soon the Sun’s direct rays will once again spill across the equator to the northern hemisphere.
A tiny whirl swirls off the Mexican coast
Things are much calmer a little bit closer to home.
Crystal clear skies across almost all of Mexico on Saturday afternoon highlighted an unusual little feature off the country’s east coast. A pronounced swirl in the clouds slowly drifted northeast through the day.
Low-lying stratus clouds are a common sight in the western Gulf of Mexico this time of year. Westerly winds blowing offshore met up with southeasterly winds spreading across the Gulf. The shear from these winds colliding whipped the clouds into a little swirl that was fun to watch on satellite imagery throughout the day.
A major atmospheric river into B.C.
Folks out west are watching a potent system move into British Columbia with heavy low-elevation rain and hefty mountain snows.
This atmospheric river is a treat to watch from space today. It’s no wonder bouts of heavy precipitation are washing over southwestern B.C. this weekend—the clouds trace the outline of the atmospheric river from around Hawaii straight toward Vancouver.
A bonus? Take a look at that cute low-pressure system slowly winding down in the Gulf of Alaska. It was a near-perfect spiral at the height of its existence on Friday.