February 22, 2015 - Snow in the Maritimes

Snow in the Maritimes

A major winter storm hit Quebec and the Maritimes provinces of Canada in mid-February, 2015, bringing blizzard conditions and frigid temperatures. According to CBCNews, the storm led to flooding, power outages, and icy road conditions. The Trans-Canada Highway between Truro, Nova Scotia and the New Brunswick border was shut down by the storm, as well as parts of Nova Scotia Highway 101. Snowfall of up to 40 – 60 cm (15.7 to 23.6 in) was reported in parts of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and northern parts of Nova Scotia.

The storm, combined with below-normal temperatures for much of the winter, resulted in a frigid scene when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite passed over the region. This true-color image was acquired on February 17, after the snow had passed.

Snow covers the entire region, with remnants of the snow-bearing clouds in the southwest section of the image. Ice fills the St. Lawrence River, extending into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In the oval Anticosti Island has accumulated substantial ice off the north coast. The Jacques-Cartier Strait, between Anticosti Island and Côte-Nord sports tendrils of ice. Further south, heavy ice surrounds Prince Edward Island, giving it the appearance of connecting with the mainland via a vast ice bridge.

Image Facts
Satellite: Terra
Date Acquired: 2/17/2015
Resolutions: 1km (359.3 KB), 500m (1.2 MB), 250m (2.8 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC