NASA · Space

Pacific Northwest Cloud Cover

In mid-September 2026, cool marine air from the Pacific Ocean created a widespread layer of low-lying stratus clouds and fog over western Washington and Oregon.

The clouds extended inland to the western foothills of the Cascade Range, with higher mountains like the Olympic Mountains appearing as islands above the cloud layer. NASA's Terra satellite captured this scene on September 19, 2026, also noting smoke from wildfires in the North Cascades.

Marine stratus clouds form when moist air near the surface is trapped beneath warmer air, causing it to cool and condense. This phenomenon was particularly pronounced on September 19, bringing clouds and fog down to ground level in some areas.

By the afternoon of the same day, NASA's Aqua satellite showed that skies had cleared over much of the region, though some marine clouds remained along the cooler Oregon coast.

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