Many of our viewers sent in pictures today of sun dogs around the sun this afternoon. Sun dogs form in frigid temperatures and they are the rainbows that you see forming around the sun like a halo. If you missed this display today, the moon might form a similar display. If you would like to know the science behind this sun dogs we have a link here.
These same ice crystals that made our sun dogs can also create light pillars at night. Like sun dogs, light will refract off of these ice crystals and create this optical illusion of beams of light. Light pillars are tall beams of light that extend from a light source, like street lamps. We need very specific weather conditions to see these weather phenomenons. Temperatures need to be below 14 degrees and higher humidity values. With more moisture in the atmosphere, it is able to freeze into these ice crystals which then refract the light.
These ice crystals are too small for the naked eye to see, but with millions of them in the atmosphere it can create quite the display. These ice crystals are hexagon shaped and more flat, so it makes it easier to refract incoming light.
With the snow on the ground, it can also help to reflect the light towards these ice crystals and create a glow over the city at night. City lights, street lamps, and traffic lights can all create these tall beams of light.
The next couple of nights will stay within the ranges for these light pillars to form. The sun dogs will likely not form again due to our warmer temperatures during the day, but there is still a chance to see this with the moon. If you get any pictures of any light pillars tonight, you can email us at weather@koaa.com for a chance to be featured.
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