We (all the “we” people under the same sky I was under) had fantastic, long-lasting sun dogs yesterday! (Sun dogs … sundogs … which do you prefer? I’ve probably gone back and forth.) Sometimes both sides were super bright and prismatic, and other times, only one side was bright, and the other side was dim – and then they would swap.
What ARE sun dogs?
According to Google AI:
“Sundogs (or parhelia) are bright, colorful spots of light appearing on either side of the sun, caused by sunlight refracting through hexagonal ice crystals in high-altitude clouds, common in cold weather. They look like “phantom suns” or rainbow-like patches, often red closest to the sun, and usually signal approaching rain or storms, despite being associated with cold, clear conditions.”
You can find a comprehensive explanation via Wikipedia’s definition here, and a fun one from the Old Farmer’s Almanac here.
The Almanac says that seeing sun dogs often means that “rain is on the way” and to “look out for foul or wet weather!” We in Colorado would challenge the word “foul” because we’ll all be rejoicing greatly if we get any kind of wet weather! We do have “PM rain/snow showers” in Thursday’s forecast, along with very cold temps for several days afterward. The temp yesterday hit 60F again, so that’ll be a big change.
If you’re wondering about why sun dogs are called sun dogs, the Almanac has an answer for that, too:
“According to Greek mythology, Zeus walked his dogs across the sky, and those “false suns” in the sky on either side of the sun’s disk were his two dogs.”
It’s fun to imagine that the ancient Greeks also liked to walk their dogs to enjoy nature and get some exercise. 🙂
Bundle up, and THINK SNOW!
(I should mention that the above pic was taken from the edge of Big Gypsum Valley, above Gypsum Gap, which, from that direction, is the gateway to Disappointment Valley.)
Spring Creek Basin Mustangs 