Satellite Image of the Day: February 18, 2005
(click here for previous images of the day from RUSMART)

NOAA's Hydrometeorologial Prediction Center (HPC) "Daily National Forecast" image shows a daily national weather prediction

Satellites: NOAA-15 and NOAA-17, part of NOAA's 850km-high (530 mile-high) Polar Orbiting satellites

Jet Stream influences the nation's weather
The jet stream crosses over much of the northern US, while the "westerlies" blow wet air across the southern states.
This combination could bring any combination of snow/ice/rain to the eastern US, depending on the relative orientation of the two influences.
At the moment, this combination is bringing very clear skies to the mid-latitude states.
The "westerlies" are called that because they blow from the west.
Click on the images below for a higher-resolution (>100k) version.

False color image Thermal image