Cloud streets over the Labrador Sea

Today’s Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features long, parallel bands of cumulus clouds in the spy over the Labrador Sea. According to NASA, these cloud streets usually appear a few times every spring.

“The magnificent organization of these clouds, known as cloud streets, was on full display when this image was acquired on April 19, 2022,” reports NASA.

“Captured with the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite, the image shows cloud streets sweeping over the open water between Labrador, Canada, and southwest Greenland.”

“The appearance of cloud streets indicates that strong, cold winds were blowing toward the southeast over comparatively warmer water. In springtime, sea ice has already entered the melting season, but there is still plenty of ice over land and sea to produce very cold, dry air. There is also enough open water from which that air can draw moisture and form clouds.”

Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory 

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By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Editor

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