Instead of what you could see when you peek out the window, green sky sound like the setting for a science fiction movie. But on Tuesday, July 5, folks in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, saw precisely that. The sky turned a vivid green, a naturally occurring but rare event. Look at the pictures that individuals took of the scene to get a sense of the shocking impact of this sight.
The Sioux Falls skyline is frequently obscured by an acid-green sky in these bizarre pictures. While many internet trolls made jokes about how this meant the end of the world was near, a NWS meteorologist graciously provided some scientific clarification. According to Cory Martin’s infographic, “Water/ice particles in storm clouds with sufficient depth and water content will mostly scatter blue light.” “The blue water/ice droplets in the cloud will seem to glow GREEN when the reddish light reflected by the atmosphere illuminates them. This color typically indicates a significant amount of ice (big hail), as it requires a significant amount of water content within the cloud to achieve.
Therefore, the vivid green sky South Dakotans witnessed on Tuesday most likely came before a powerful thunderstorm that produced a lot of hail. Fortunately, before the sky cleared once more, someone captured its amazing aspect.
The bizarre sight of a green sky in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is captured by photographers.
Though extremely unusual to see, it is not a post-apocalyptic scene.
Ice’s ability to scatter light is what gives the sky its green hue.
It usually means there is a lot of ice or hail in the sky when it is this green.
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