Canada’s Extreme Cold on Friday ‘Tricked’ Weather Satellites into Confusion
Frigid temperatures in Canada caused satellites to misinterpret ground conditions as clouds
Canada, Alberta, Prairies, Cold Weather, Weather Satellites
Calgary: So, you won’t believe what happened in Canada! On Friday, the cold was so intense that it actually fooled weather satellites. They thought the ground was covered in clouds!
This week, some super chilly Arctic air settled over the Prairies. It made the ground so cold that temperatures dropped into the -30s and even -40s. Can you imagine? And it’s not just Canada; this cold snap is heading south, all the way to Florida!
With clear skies, the temperatures plummeted. The satellites, which usually do a great job, got confused because the ground was colder than they expected. They picked up the frigid surface as if it were clouds. Pretty wild, right?
On Friday morning, parts of the central Prairies were experiencing dangerously low temperatures. In Alberta, people even spotted light pillars in the sky, a rare sight that happens only during extreme cold.
The infrared sensors on the satellites mistook the icy ground for clouds. As the day went on and the sun came out, the satellite images started to show the actual terrain again. But for a while, it was all white and blue, making it look like a winter wonderland from above!
And guess what? This weekend, we might see more of those funky satellite images. Southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba are bracing for more freezing temperatures, dipping into the -30s. It’s going to be a chilly sight for sure!
It’s not the first time satellites have been tricked by extreme weather. In the summer, the desert can get so hot that it looks like a dark void on satellite images. Weather can be so unpredictable!