January 6, 2022 - Mid-Atlantic Snow Band

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After an unseasonably warm weekend in the eastern United States, a
“Nor’easter” dumped a blanket of wet, heavy snow across the
Mid-Atlantic region.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s
Terra satellite captured this true-color image of the snow band on
January 4, 2022. Parts of southern Virginia and southern Maryland saw
some of the highest accumulations, with more than 14 inches (36
centimeters) falling in Spotsylvania and Stafford counties in Virginia
and Calvert County in Maryland.

The storm began as rain overnight then turned to heavy, wet snow by the
morning commute. Snow continued falling through most of the day on
January 3, lying atop a layer of freezing slush and ice. The weight of
the dense snow caused trees to snap across the heaviest-hit areas,
leaving more than 400,000 without power.

In Virginia, at least 100 motorists were stranded overnight after
accidents on Interstate 95 shut the highway down along a roughly
50-mile-long stretch between exit 104 near Ruther Glen and exit 152
close to Dumfries. The initial accident, which occurred before noon on
January 3, involved six big rigs near mile marker 136. Near 5:00 p.m.
on January 4, Virginia authorities reported that no one remained in
vehicles on the closed portion of the interstate. The road was reopened
several hours later.

As motorists, pets, and children sat in their vehicles for as long as
24 hours, a bread company, traveling from Baltimore, Maryland, opened
the door to its delivery truck and handed out bread to the stranded
motorists. Another person handed out water.

Typically, when forecasters call for snow and freezing conditions,
highway workers move quickly to pre-treat the roadways to keep ice from
causing hazardous conditions. The heavy rain preceding this snowfall
diluted the pavement pre-treatment, allowing icy build-up along many
roadways. As of the morning of January 5, thousands of power outages
continue in Maryland and Virginia while crews work to clear downed
trees and repair damage.

Image Facts
Satellite: Terra
Date Acquired: 1/4/2022
Resolutions: 1km (156.4 KB), 500m (601.6 KB), 250m (1.8 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC



https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2022-01-06

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