Alaska’s Sky Explodes With Swirling Clouds and a Hidden Polar Storm

NASA’s Terra satellite captured striking late-winter weather patterns over southern Alaska on March 19, 2026.

The image showed cloud streets, open-cell clouds, von Kármán vortices near Unimak Island, and a compact polar low southwest of Anchorage.

Arctic air moving over the warmer Gulf of Alaska helped fuel storms, snowfall, and strong winds.

The scene highlights how cold air, ocean warmth, and terrain can combine to drive intense coastal and inland weather in Alaska.