[imagesource: Twitter / Chris Michaels]
Residents of South Dakota may have thought the apocalypse was drawing near on Tuesday.
A hauntingly rare phenomenon took over the skies with residents in and around Sioux Falls speculating whether they were being accosted by the Wicked Witch of the West, an alien invasion, a Hulk-like monster, or a transformation into The Upside Down from Stranger Things.
The threat of a derecho – a severe and fast-travelling thunderstorm system that brings hurricane-like winds and heavy rains – is what led to the region looking like a barrel of gamma radiation had been poured from the heavens.
The ominous viridescence was captured by folks on the ground, including that shot above by a meteorologist from Virginia.
Have a look at the wild Creme Soda scene:
— J (@Punkey_Power) July 5, 2022
Green pic.twitter.com/RjjCbDUhGf
— jaden
(@jkarmill) July 5, 2022
The sky above Hartford, South Dakota, turned an eerie green Tuesday as a thunderstorm rolled through the area, with refraction causing the phenomenon to occur. pic.twitter.com/SNIz7m6Pzs
— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 7, 2022
Storm passing over Sioux Falls, South Dakota live in the @RadarOmega App earlier. I did not colorize or edit this photo. Shot on iPhone. @ryanhallyall pic.twitter.com/hA3SN7Iz2c
— Vince Waelti
(@VinceWaelti) July 6, 2022
The green in this thing is insane! Taken in Sioux Falls South Dakota looking south west. #sdwx pic.twitter.com/x7Yx6UE2wF
— Tanner Charles
Futurism explains why the sky might have turned this fantastical neon green:
…thunderstorms often happen in the late afternoon and evening, when the setting sun casts shades of yellow and red across the daytime’s blue sky. Water is exceptionally good at holding the color blue, and it’s thought that raindrops of a certain diameter can disperse all but cerulean light.
Thus, meteorologists posit that if a storm has enough liquid power behind it and hits at the perfect time of day, competing yellow and blue light will combine into green.
A meteorologist on Twitter also posted a graphic explaining the phenomenon:
Pics of the green sky from my family in Sioux Falls have been incredible! Had to dig up this fun green cloud infographic I made back in the day. Hail reports not too large at the moment, but storms are very moisture loaded in this warm, tropical environment. #SDwx #IAwx pic.twitter.com/S39JLSRfEu
— Cory Martin (@cory_martin) July 5, 2022
More footage:
Check out the ominous green skies over Sioux Falls, SD. We’re tracking severe storms across the entire country on WeatherNation today. #SDwx pic.twitter.com/icPJRXd8OR
— WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) July 6, 2022
Skies above Sioux Falls, South Dakota, were tinged green as “life-threatening” thunderstorms lashed the city!
Shawn Hinnant via Storyful pic.twitter.com/xaGzwtUSFi
— Storyful (@Storyful) July 6, 2022
USA Today reported that the National Weather Service confirmed that the derecho bamboozled much of South Dakota, as well as Minnesota and Iowa, even going as far as Wisconsin.
The storm left thousands without power for hours after the destructive, long-lasting wind storm, with several people landing up injured, too.
I guess there are occasions where green does not necessarily mean go.
