Pic of the Day

Actually the Pic of Saturday.  Nice MODIS image below of post-frontal dust plumes over the playa south of I-80 at 1030 MST.  Click to enlarge.

1030 MST Sat 25 Feb 2012 Modis Image

Dust deposited on the Wasatch snowpack during this event was subsequently buried in fresh snow, but will surely reappear during the spring melt.  Climatologically, the peak month for dust in northern Utah is April, so more events are likely unless the spring proves to be dead with regards to strong winds associated with fronts and cyclones.  When on or near the surface, dust increases the amount of sunlight absorbed by the snow, resulting in a faster spring melt and decreased snow-cover duration.