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Snow No! A Rough Winter for the Chesapeake

by
Krissy

February 2010 is one for the record books. With nicknames like Snowmageddon, Snowpocalypse, and SnOMG the newspapers are deeming the blizzard that hit this month the end of the world.

The storm that dumped 30 plus inches on the Chesapeake region, almost overnight, can be seen from space thanks to NASA’s Wallops satellite. This image, take on February 7th, 2010 shows the extent of the winter blast that pounded the area.

Snow extended north into New York, south into Virginia and blanketed the Eastern Shore with fresh powder. The snow hides the large cities of Baltimore, Washington and Harrisburg, which are usually visible on satellite images as large grey patches. In this image, these major cities are blanketed under the snow hiding the impact we have on the landscape.

Along with being a striking way to view our region, this image also offers up a great learning opportunity for students, showing them how geography and the weather can influence our local waterways.

Can your students answer the following questions about this picture?

  1. Where is the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and what body of water does it empty into?
  2. What long river runs south through New York and Pennsylvania and empties into the top of the Chesapeake Bay?
  3. Why do some of the rivers look brown in color while others appear bluish-green?
  4. What mountain range cuts through the left corner of this image?

If you have more questions submit them through our comments!

Additional Resources:
Daily Satellite Image of the Chesapeake Bay - NASA, MODIS Rapid Response
Weather Related Lesson Plans - Bay Backpack

Answers:

  1. The mouth of the Chesapeake Bay is in Virginia, where the Chesapeake Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean.
  2. The Susquehanna River, which runs for 444 miles from its source in Cooperstown, NY until it empties into the Chesapeake Bay at Havre de Grace, Md.
  3. Polluted water running off our roadways and parking lots drains into our rivers and streams and eventually the Chesapeake Bay. This polluted water appears brown in color because it is full of sediments and nutrients that wash off the land. Heavy rains and snow melt wash thousands of gallons of polluted water into the Bay each year.
  4. The Appalachian Mountains, which run from Newfoundland 1,500 miles south-west into Alabama. The Appalachians cut through all of the Chesapeake Bay watershed states but Delaware.