Weather Notebook
Bryan Yeaton
 


 
Green Sky Answer
Mon Aug 02, 2004

Listen in RealAudio

Hi, I’m Bryan Yeaton, and this is The Weather Notebook. Last month, I asked you what it means when you look up and see a green sky—something I had the dubious honor to witness back in 1997. Well, not surprisingly, some of our listeners had also seen this eerie phenomenon.

LL: Hi, this is Larry Lightner. As far as Nebraska goes, when the sky is green, that means hail is coming.

P: Hello, this is Perry from Indianapolis. We always seem to see the green sky just before a tornado or a hailstorm. And the weather gets deadly still, and the sky turns green, and we all hit the basement.

BY: Leslie Naples of Indianapolis shares that sentiment.

LN: When I see the sky turn green, I run for the basement, because it usually means there’s an ugly tornado coming very, very quickly. It is the ugliest shade of green, and it just gives you goose bumps up and down, and you just know that it’s not right!

BY: Adam Smith lives just outside of Oklahoma City.

AS: And it’s usually when there (are) tornadoes impending, or tornadoes on the ground. It’s pretty scary.

PH: This is Pat Heaney. Here in New Jersey we don’t see a lot of green skies, but if we ever do, I’d want to take cover because I think it’s a very low pressure (system), and a tornado could be forming.

BY: According to John Slown of Albuquerque, N.M.:

JS: The green sky I’m familiar with is a sign of very unsettled convective weather—usually a tornado somewhere in the area, or likely to occur. It’s a rather creepy thing to see.

BY: Although the green sky can be a sign of severe weather, tornadoes don’t always form. And the fun part is—no one knows exactly why it turns green. The Weather Notebook is supported by the National Science Foundation and Subaru of America.

Today's Links

Green Thunderstorms:
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/resources/basics/green-thunderstorms.htm



  PO Box 2310 · 2779 Main Street · North Conway, NH 03860
Business Phone (603) 356-2137 x205 · Business Fax (603) 356-0307