IOWA — Yes, parts of Iowa really did see a bright pink sky during a winter storm last week. Let’s talk about why the special phenomenon occurred.
The FOX Forecast Center said the main reason the sky can appear pink during a snowstorm has to do with how different wavelengths of light behave.
The sky turned bright pink during a recent winter storm in Iowa.
(@tb11mom / FOX Weather)
Blueish colors have much shorter wavelengths, while colors like pink, red and orange have longer wavelengths.
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During sunrise or sunset, sunlight has to travel through more of the atmosphere, as the sun sits low on the horizon.
During these times, the shorter blue wavelengths are more scattered, which allows the longer wavelengths to dominate the sky. That’s why reds and pinks become more noticeable.
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The height and thickness of clouds also plays a role. In this case, the clouds could have been relatively low and not overly thick, according to the FOX Forecast Center.
A video shot by Greg Diesel Walck shows pink clouds and a rainbow stretching across the sky. (Courtesy: Greg Diesel Walck via Storyful)
If the clouds had been taller or denser, much of the light would have been scattered back into the atmosphere.
The FOX Forecast Center said there may have been just enough of a break beneath the cloud deck for longer wavelengths to reach the surface, which in turn resulted in the pink hue visible to the human eye.
With the light source low on the horizon, sunlight also has a better chance of slipping underneath the cloud cover, which makes the pink hue even brighter.
