Clear Skies

Here's a visible image from Friday afternoon from the Suomi NPP satellite. With clear skies over much of mainland Alaska, there's a lot of detail to be seen. Note the area of open water west of Barrow. It's small, but the fact that there's more  than a lead is quite remarkable for mid-March. Also note that many areas in Interior Alaska are fairly dark, which of course is simply the boreal forest. This difference in albedo on land is a major factor in show fast it warms up in the spring in Alaska.