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Heartland's First Snow: NASA Image of the Week December 12, 2008
ESA image of the Bahama Islands
Fingers of warmth around rivers and streams can be seen in contrast to the snowcover.
The first in a series of Arctic blasts turned a wide swath of the American Heartland into a wintry wonderland during early December.

The image of the whitewashed landscape to the right was captured by NASA’s Aqua satellite when it passed over the Midwest at midday on December 2.

It clearly shows fresly fallen snow from the upper Mississippi Valley and Great Lakes region southward to near St. Louis and the lower Ohio Valley.

The blanket of white is contrasted by the cement-gray shading of rivers and streams, as well as urban areas.

The sprawling Chicago metropolitan area can be seen seen stretching from the shores of Lake Michigan, westward for about 50 miles.

The heavy snowfall from the opening days of December caused fatal car accidents and disrupted air travel in Chicago and regional airports for hours, according to local reports.

The Associated Press said the heaviest snow fell in central Illinois from around Peoria to east of the Bloomington-Normal area.

Image: NASA Earth Obsevatory