Extratropical Cyclones Forming East of the Rocky Mountains

Online 10.3: An Upper-Level Cyclone Crosses the Rockies Infrared Satellite Imagery: Infrared satellite images shown in sequence during the strong cyclone that produced heavy snow in Colorado illustrate the persistent presence of cloud cover over the state. Bright regions on the animation indicate cold temperatures (high cloud tops) while gray regions indicate warmer temperatures (cloud-free and snow-free surfaces).