Snowstorm in Ireland and Great Britain, December 2010

Snow extends from Northern Ireland southward past Dublin, and from Scotland southward into England. Snow cover stops short of London; the white expanses in that area are clouds. Snow and clouds present an almost uniform white to the satellite sensor, but clouds can be distinguished from the underlying snow by their billowy shapes and indistinct margins. Rugged hills and gray-toned urban areas interrupt the snow cover, especially in northern England.