--- title: "Weird Storm Turns Sky Green" description: "Before yesterday's powerful derecho storm, the sky in Sioux Falls, South Dakota turned an eery shade of Powerade-colored neon green." date: "2022-07-06" modified: "2022-07-06" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/weird-storm-turns-sky-green" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "meteorology" - "storms" - "the digest" - "weather" --- # Weird Storm Turns Sky Green ![Before yesterday's powerful derecho storm, the sky in Sioux Falls, South Dakota turned an eery shade of Powerade-colored neon green.]() *\Image: South Dakota Department of Transportation\* ## Spooky Skies Nothing quite says "apocalypse" like [Melon Powerade-colored]() heavens. Case in point, before a bout of severe weather yesterday, the sky in Sioux Falls, South Dakota turned a shade of green akin to that of the [gamma radiation]() that turned Bruce Banner into the Hulk. The ominous occurrence took place as a massive thunderstorm system called a [derecho]() swept through the region, injuring several people and wreaking havoc on the property and power supplies of thousands of others. Derechos are powerful and destructive, known for hurricane-like winds, heavy rains, and a knack for traveling hundreds of miles. But while these mighty weather events have occasionally been known to cause this viridescent phenomenon, [*The Washington Post* reports]() that the [neon hue]() witnessed yesterday is extremely uncommon. https://twitter.com/jkarmill/status/1544422037078294532?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1544422037078294532%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Fclimate-environment%2F2022%2F07%2F06%2Fderecho-green-sky-south-dakota%2F ## Green Machine There are a few theories as to why these green skies occur, with the [predominant hypothesis]() having to do with the way heavy raindrops and hail are able to scatter and reflect light. As [*Scientific American* explains](), 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. Yesterday's storm, however, pushed this conjecture to the brink. "Even by that metric," *WaPo* meteorologist Matthew Cappucci wrote, referring to the prevailing theory, "the colors exhibited by storms over Siouxland and along the Interstate 29 corridor of South Dakota, the James River Valley and northwestern Iowa were unlike any in recent meteorological memory." **READ MORE:** *[Derecho turns sky green, sweeps through 5 states with 90 mph winds]()* \[*WaPo*\] **More on bizarre weather events:** [*Startup Says Its Tech Can Kill Hurricanes Before They Get Strong*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()