Weather News

Weather Words: 'Sun Halo'

By Chris DeWeese

March 27, 2024

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This solar halo was photographed yesterday over the Bund in Shanghai, China. Solar halos occur when sunlight cuts through ice crystals high in the upper atmosphere. They commonly materialize when a thin layer of cirrus clouds is present.

Sun halos are a remarkable sight and often can be read as a sign of approaching storms or low pressure fronts. So if you happen to see one, it may mean that stormy weather is on its way.

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