GINA

February Cloud Streets Over the Bering Sea

The VIIRS SnowCloud Discriminator with snow/ice in lavender-tinted white and low stratocumulus low clouds in yellow . The stratocumulus form in streets as strong northerly low level winds bring cold arctic air southward off the ice pack and across the Bering Sea.  Sea water in the Bering is cold, but still much warmer than the Arctic air above, prompting rising air, condensation, and cloud formation. This image showcase product was created from a NOAA-20 Pass, 2305 UTC, 07 Feb 2022.

Such events have been seen in before, see this NASA image from 2015.

See the VIIRS Snow/Cloud Discriminator Quick Guide for additional details.