While most of us on the East Coast woke up to white blanketing our streets and backyards, you can get a whole different glimpse of what Winter Storm Jonas looks like when you’re orbiting hundreds of miles above the Earth. Commander Scott Kelly and the crew of the International Space Station had such a view this morning, and Kelly took a few pics of Winter Storm Jonas from their position. Spoiler alert: it looks pretty cool, but also kind of terrifying–especially due to the sheer size alone.
Massive #snowstorm blanketing #EastCoast clearly visible from @Space_Station! Stay safe! #blizzard2016 #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/oq6ewYaTPQ
— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) January 23, 2016
As #blizzard2016 passes over #Chicago, the #EastCoast seen in distance clearly has a long way to go. #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/qMrkTXo9ie
— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) January 23, 2016
And a little while after those initial photos went up, Kelly shared this photo via Twitter as well–of thundersnow (which, apparently, is a real thing that exists):
Rare #thundersnow visible from @Space_Station in #blizzard2016! #Snowzilla #snowmaggedon2016 #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/l3p6hjnJOq
— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) January 23, 2016
It’s rare, but it happens–a thunderstorm in which snow is the primary form of precipitation rather than rain. Typically the snow acts as more of a sound suppressor, too, so you can’t really hear the thunder from same distance you would if you were standing in a regular thunderstorm.
For those of you who woke up to a snowglobe world this morning–are you inside hunkered down, or are you heading out into the thick of it? Whatever you wind up doing, stay safe and stay warm!
(via Gizmodo)
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