Images: The Best Meteorological Images of Winter Storm Stella

This first water vapor satellite image is Stella as it began to intensify in the East Monday evening. At that time, the initial development of its surface low-pressure system took place just off the Southeast coast.

Below is the same water vapor satellite imagery, except on Tuesday afternoon, which illustrates the mature low-pressure system that had developed off the East Coast by then. Stella's low-pressure center had undergone bombogenesis – a rapid drop in atmospheric pressure – by this point. 

In orange is drier air aloft punching into the west side of the storm, while the green shadings depict higher cloud tops and moisture in the atmosphere.

Here is a wider visible satellite image of Stella as the sun was setting Tuesday early evening.

Observed snowfall totals from Stella through 3 p.m. EDT Tuesday are plotted on this next graphic. You can see how the higher amounts (orange and red) from the storm increased greatly just west of the Interstate 95 corridor.

Next is this surface weather map that shows the intense area of low pressure (red L) associated with Stella near Long Island, New York, at 2 p.m. EDT Tuesday. The circular lines surrounding the low are isobars, which depict areas with the same atmospheric pressure around the low. When many isobars are packed together around the low, as in this image, it indicates a very strong storm.