Blizzard Aftermath: Earth Image of the Week

The heaviest snow fall across West Virginia, Virginia, the District of Columbia and Maryland.

Dubbed “snowpocalypse” and “snowmageddon,” a brutal midwinter blizzard blanketed much of the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States with feet of snow on February 5-6, 2010.

Crashed and abandoned cars littered roadways as airlines were forced to cancel hundreds of flights around Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia.

During the height of the storm, authorities urged everyone to remain indoors as crews attempted to keep the roadways clear for emergency vehicles.

The heavy snow caused several buildings to cave in and also brought down power lines.

The true-color image to the right was taken by NASA’s Terra satellite after skies cleared above the freshly fallen snowpack on Sunday, February 7.

It illustrates how most of the heavy snow was confined to areas southwest of New York City.

The brighter white shades indicate where the deepest snowfall occurred, while brown areas are relatively snow-free ground surfaces.

Both areas are in contrast to the deep blue of the Atlantic Ocean, which is covered by cloudiness well offshore.

Full story and image: NASA