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January 9, 2026 - Snow and Sunshine in Southern California
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After several days of stormy weather, fresh snow glimmered on the Sierra Nevada mountains as sun shone on the San Joaquin Valley on January 6, 2026. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image of Southern California on that same day.
Days of precipitation brought rain to the verdant agriculture-rich valley while snow fell across the high elevations. According to local news channel ABC10 in Sacramento, California, the wet weekend weather caused creeks and rivers to rise in lower elevations. Threat of flooding caused the San Joaquin Area Flood Control Agency to close boat launches and shut flood gates near Stockton. That city is located in San Joaquin Valley, and, in this image, it lies in the north and under cloud.
Meanwhile, the southern Sierra Nevada received a much-needed boost to snowpack. According to Drought.gov, on January 4, 2026, the snow water equivalent (SWE) for the southern Sierra Nevada hovered near 84 percent of median for this time of year. By January 6, SWE had increased to 159 percent of median according to the same source. SWE is defined as the depth of water that would cover the ground if the snow cover was in a liquid state.
The National Weather Service also reported that on January 8, the area of the Sierra Nevada covered by snow was 55 percent, which was a substantial increase from 20.1 percent measured in December 2025. The average snow depth in the region was 15 inches (38 cm) with a range from 0 inches (0 cm) to 100.6 inches (255.5 cm). Snow pack—the amount of snow that falls in mountainous areas and remains until spring—is a key component in the water cycle in the western United States. It stores water in the winter and releases it in the spring and early summer as snow melts, providing a critical water supply to many otherwise dry areas near the mountains.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 1/6/2026
Resolutions:
1km (204.7 KB), 500m (533.2 KB), 250m (1000.7 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
After several days of stormy weather, fresh snow glimmered on the Sierra Nevada mountains as sun shone on the San Joaquin Valley on January 6, 2026. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image of Southern California on that same day.
Days of precipitation brought rain to the verdant agriculture-rich valley while snow fell across the high elevations. According to local news channel ABC10 in Sacramento, California, the wet weekend weather caused creeks and rivers to rise in lower elevations. Threat of flooding caused the San Joaquin Area Flood Control Agency to close boat launches and shut flood gates near Stockton. That city is located in San Joaquin Valley, and, in this image, it lies in the north and under cloud.
Meanwhile, the southern Sierra Nevada received a much-needed boost to snowpack. According to Drought.gov, on January 4, 2026, the snow water equivalent (SWE) for the southern Sierra Nevada hovered near 84 percent of median for this time of year. By January 6, SWE had increased to 159 percent of median according to the same source. SWE is defined as the depth of water that would cover the ground if the snow cover was in a liquid state.
The National Weather Service also reported that on January 8, the area of the Sierra Nevada covered by snow was 55 percent, which was a substantial increase from 20.1 percent measured in December 2025. The average snow depth in the region was 15 inches (38 cm) with a range from 0 inches (0 cm) to 100.6 inches (255.5 cm). Snow pack—the amount of snow that falls in mountainous areas and remains until spring—is a key component in the water cycle in the western United States. It stores water in the winter and releases it in the spring and early summer as snow melts, providing a critical water supply to many otherwise dry areas near the mountains.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 1/6/2026
Resolutions:
1km (204.7 KB), 500m (533.2 KB), 250m (1000.7 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
