Early Snows in California

A powerful storm barreling down from Alaska during the last week of October brought record rain and snow to California. It was the second large storm in as many weeks.

This satellite image, taken on Oct. 31, shows the Sierra Nevada Mountains covered in snow after the storm. Up to 4 feet fell in some spots during October, allowing some ski resorts to open earlier than usual.

The snowfall is good for water supplies, too. California has been in a drought for six years, and while two storms can't end it, the state relies on spring snowmelt to help.

The snow extends all the way down the 400-mile length of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in this image. San Francisco Bay appears greenish near the center of the image, with the farming region of the Central Valley to its right. Lake Tahoe is the unmistakable dark area toward the northern portion of the snowy blanket.

-- LiveScience Staff

Credit: NASA/Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory/MODIS Rapid Response team