Astronauts aboard the International Space Station have snapped a photo of the so-called Arnica wildfire that started burning in mid-September in Yellowstone National Park. It's a striking image, shot Sept. 26 at an oblique (rather than straight-down) angle. It shows several of the late-season fires that were burning in the park, and the tremendous area covered by the resulting smoke. Here's more.
By Sept. 30, the Arnica fire had consumed 10,000 acres. Then the weather began to change and parts of the northern Rockies began to feel the chill of winter in the air.
A weekend snowstorm has pushed the continent's snow cover (left) well into Montana, Wyoming (including Yellowstone), Colorado and Nebraska, at least for now. The Arnica fire is now "under control," and the fire season there has drawn to a close.
Temperatures in the Denver area dropped to 17 degrees on Saturday. Icy roads became a hazard and a section of I-25 was closed after a fatal accident that may have been linked to icy conditions.