Favorite Atmospheric/Sky Phenomenon

[SnowenOutThere]

Thought it was time for another fun thread! Curious to know what everyone's favorite thing that happens in the sky. Of course, we all know the basic answers of snow/severe but I'm hoping to get some more in depth answers. For example snow squalls or orthographic events instead of just plain snow! Personally my favorite meteorological events are Hurricane Sunsets/Sunrises due to the upper anticyclone spreading out high level cirrus wave clouds which capture the sun extremely well to get brilliant sunsets. A non meteorological pick would be Blood Moons as I just think they're neat to be both predictable/easy while still really cool. Visual examples of my own work for each! 

[Paleocene]

Paleocene's Sky Stuff Rankings (I like the  I guess)

1) Extremely low AQI / high pressure days with zero cloud cover and deep blue sky, particularly from July - October (but also other months)

2) Sunny days in February - March when the sun angle starts increasing but the leaves aren't out yet, and everything is lit very brightly in profile by the still angled rays of the sun, especially houses/buildings/trees. See paintings by Edward Hopper (my prof pic). Shadows are pronounced.

3) Obligatory SN+

4) When it absolutely rains buckets and sheets of rain and it's like we're in south florida

[dailylurker]

My new favorite sky is the stunning sky you get up on the Tug in the snowbelt. As a Marylander my entire life it's like nothing I've experienced here. You get this deep blue arctic sky with this extreme contrast to black, orenge, purple, and pink where the snow bands streak across the sky. It reminded me of low top thunderstorms training across an arctic blue sky. There's also a fuzzy look from the wind carrying flakes out into the blue sky. During the evening the sunsets reminded me of something I experienced in Hawaii. It's unique and very beautiful. 

[DMAC98]

I've seen two solar eclipses within the path of totality, do those count?

August 21, 2017 (Simpsonville, SC)

April 8, 2024 (Toledo, OH - sorry for the shit quality)

[SnowenOutThere]

1 minute ago, Paleocene said:

Paleocene's Sky Stuff Rankings (I like the  I guess)

1) Extremely low AQI / high pressure days with zero cloud cover and deep blue sky, particularly from July - October (but also other months)

2) Sunny days in February - March when the sun angle starts increasing but the leaves aren't out yet, and everything is lit very brightly in profile by the still angled rays of the sun, especially houses/buildings/trees

3) Obligatory SN+

4) When it absolutely rains buckets and sheets of rain and it's like we're in south florida

Absolutely great list. I personally like the sunny days within 10 days of the winter equinox as you get a very pastel sun/light which is very good for landscape photography compared to the more harsh summer light. 

[Paleocene]

4 minutes ago, SnowenOutThere said:

Absolutely great list. I personally like the sunny days within 10 days of the winter equinox as you get a very pastel sun/light which is very good for landscape photography compared to the more harsh summer light. 

Agreed!. I have an inordinate number of photos of trees/woods taken between 12/10 and 12/31 each year lol. Love that soft light. Even better the further north you go

[gopper]

double rainbows (google pic)

[gopper]

Sun Dogs (google pic)

 

[NorthArlington101]

Really tough to beat the total solar eclipse. Enough to make a grown man cry!

Besides that... I mean a truly vivid rainbow is honestly cooler than an aurora. Or just a pitch perfect (for DC area) cumulonimbus cloud is really sweet. 

[WxUSAF]

[PrinceFrederickWx]

Solar eclipse (nothing else on the list compares to this one!)

Lunar eclipse

Aurora

Lenticular clouds

Double rainbow

Red/orange sun through smoke

Thundersnow (only one on this list I haven't seen in person, though my wife has)

Also idk what you call this, but when you can see the white disk of the sun through low lying clouds and fog (I posted a pic of this late last year).

 

Edit: lenticular clouds IMBY 6/20/2022 (or I think they are; someone can correct me if I'm wrong but these looked cool).

[WolfStock1]

Never seen in person but would very much *love* to see - sprites:

 

[MN Transplant]

KH waves are always nice to see