Minnesota in Winter

Source: Modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2023) / Google Earth Engine

A snowy Minnesota, with the city of New Ulm (ca. 14.000 inhabitants) in the center, at the confluence of the Minnesota River (north) and the Cottonwood River (west). On the west side of the city the New Ulm Municipal Airport is visible.

The meandering Minnesota River occupies only a small portion of the wide valley, which is up to 8 km wide and 80 m deep. This valley was carved into the landscape by the massive glacial river Warren between 11,700 and 9,400 years ago at the end of the last ice age in North America.

The very regular, agricultural grid pattern reflects earlier surveying; the size of the fields was determined by the need to have a big enough area to make use of machinery efficient. Nowadays, satellite imagery is increasingly used in agriculture, to support precision farming and to estimate future crop yield.

Fun Fact: Back in the year 2000, New Ulm was voted “the most German town in America.”