NASA MODIS Image of the Day: December 5, 2008 – First Winter Storm Slams Illinois

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The first big winter storm arrived in Illinois and neighboring states in early December 2008.

Heavy snow caused fatal car accidents and delayed air travel in Chicago and regional airports for hours.

This image of the freshly fallen snow was captured by the MODIS on NASA’s Aqua satellite on December 2. Clouds lingered over Lake Michigan, but clear skies over northern Illinois showed the blanket of snow. The whitened landscape highlights the paths of rivers and streams as well as urban areas, which appear cement gray. According to AP news reports, “…the heaviest snow fell Sunday and early Monday across a stretch of central Illinois roughly along Interstate 74 from west of Peoria to east of the Bloomington-Normal area.”