English: On February 11, 2016, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA�s Terra satellite flew over the northern United States and captured this true-color image of cloud streets over the Great Lakes.

Cloud streets are long, parallel bands of cumulus clouds which form along cylinders of rotating air. These cylinders are set up when cold air blows over warmer water and a warmer air layer (a temperature inversion) rests over the top of both. The comparatively warm water gives up heat and moisture to the cold air above, and columns of air called thermals naturally rise through the atmosphere. The temperature inversion acts like a lid. When the rising thermals hit it, they roll over and loop back on themselves, creating parallel cylinders of rotating air. As this happens, the moisture cools and condenses into flat-bottomed, fluffy-topped cumulus clouds that line up parallel to the direction of the prevailing winds.

On February 11, the direction of the wind over each of the lakes was painted in the cloud streets over the water. For example, the wind over Lake Superior blows strongly from the northwest, while the wind over Lake Huron blows more nearly from the north.