Of course it is common to see rain and snow fall, depending on the season.
But atmospheric conditions can actually cause strange climate events.
Take a look at some of the strangest weather events that have happened or could happen in the US
From fire tornadoes to “rains” of fish and frogs, here’s a list of strange weather phenomena – plus some interesting facts and figures behind them.
1. Ghost rainbows: At what level does the sun need to be for you to see them?
Ghost rainbows, or mist bows, differ from iridescent rainbows only in appearance.
The two ingredients to form a fogbow are still sunlight and water droplets.
“The sun needs to be at a low angle to the existing fog in the atmosphere,” says the Farmer’s Almanac, adding that the burning star can vary between 30 and 40 degrees for the fog arc to appear.
Weather events are usually detected in the early morning and late afternoon, said the Farmer’s Almanac.
Ghost rainbows, or mist bows, differ from iridescent rainbows only in appearance. Universal Image Group via Getty Images
2. What is ‘hair ice’ and when was it discovered?
“Hair ice” was first discovered in 1918 by a scientist named Alfred Wegener, as Fox News Digital previously reported.
This rare ice formation is believed to be related to a fungus found on dead wood.
Last March, Mathew Nichols, a nature photographer, documented hair ice in Washington’s Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park.
“Hair Ice is caused by a fungus that lives in decaying wood, and this fungus ‘breathes’ or releases spores throughout the night, pushing the moisture harnessed in the wood out of the wood’s pores, causing it to immediately freeze on contact with sub-freezing temperatures,” said Nichols to Fox News Weather.
The sun’s halo is a sign of “tall, thin cirrus clouds drifting 20,000 feet” in the sky. VCG via Getty Images
3. What happens when a halo forms around the sun?
The sun’s halo is often referred to as a 22 degree halo by scientists because of the size of the radius it forms.
“They got this name because the radius of the circle around the sun or moon is about 22 degrees,” reports EarthSky, a weather information site based in Austin, Texas.
The sun’s halo is a sign of “tall, thin cirrus clouds drifting 20,000 feet” in the sky.
The weather forecast after the halo appeared, according to EarthSky, was “ringing around the moon meaning rain soon.”
4. How long will a sandstorm last in the sky?
Haboobs, derived from the Arabic word meaning wind or blow, are powerful dust and sand storms that can form in the southwestern region of the US, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said.
Haboobs can last from 10 to 30 minutes. On rare occasions, they can last longer, according to government agencies.
Strong storms can create “wind gusts of up to 60 mph [and] can stir up dust and sand and create a 10,000-foot-high wind wall,” NOAA wrote.
5. How big is the snow roller?
True to its name, a snow roller looks like a rolled blanket of snow, which is naturally sculpted due to certain weather conditions.
Snow rollers can vary in size, but rare occurrences are made rarer because they require the perfect mix of “moisture, snow, wind and temperature,” the National Weather Service reports.
“The snow must be a light dust, sticky enough to stick to itself but to a surface that won’t stick to it. The wind needs to be strong enough to encourage these snowdrifts to curl up and form their signature loops, but not so strong that they all break apart,” the weather service continued.
“Alternatively, the snow could be on top of the hill and slowly roll down to form the same shape.”
In 2016, snow rollers were found to have formed in Idaho. They reach sizes up to 18 inches in diameter, LiveScience previously reported.
6. What speed did the California fire tornado reach in 2018?
Fire tornadoes are another strange phenomenon that occurs but is rarely captured on video.
In 2018, a fire tornado formed in Redding California, with speeds reaching up to 143 mph, the Library of Congress said.
Tornadoes can also uproot trees as tall as 49 feet, the library added.
In Texarkana, Texas, citizens reported witnessing a truly strange weather phenomenon: raining fish. Facebook/The City of Texarkana, Texas
7. When was the ‘rain’ animal documented in the US?
The mysterious phenomenon of “rain frogs” and other water creatures may sound impossible, but they are reported to be happening in America.
The first documented sighting of rain frogs was in Kansas City in 1873, according to a report in Scientific American, which attributed a tornado or possible waterspout to the odd moment.
In Texarkana, Texas, there is more strange rain – this time in the form of fish – falling from the sky.
That prompted the city to share a Facebook post further explaining the 2022 weather event.
“Animal rain is a phenomenon that occurs when small water animals such as frogs, crabs and small fish are washed away in water or drafts that occur on the surface of the earth. They were then showered at the same time as the rain,” the post reads.
8. What speed must the wind reach to create a derecho?
On July 4, 2022, a derecho passed through Sioux Falls, South Dakota, turning the sky a mysterious green.
For a thunderstorm to be considered a derecho, “thunderstorm outflow winds reach 75 mph or higher at some point along the damage path,” according to NOAA.
The derecho in South Dakota brings a lot of moisture, which helps create the green color in the sky.
“When the reddish light scattered by the atmosphere illuminates the blue water/ice droplets in the clouds, they appear to glow green,” National Weather Service meteorologist Cory Martin told Fox Weather at the time.
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