Did you see that ring around the moon?

Wow! That's all I can say when nature puts on a display like the one the moon put on for us last night. Actually, I guess I should give half the credit to those cirrus clouds streaming overhead last night since that ring would not have been there without them. If you missed, this very bright ring with a faint rainbow of colors to it, lit up about 1/3 of the night sky Monday night.

Rings like are not uncommon, but some are more vivid than others. They happen when moonlight is refracted by high, thin and wispy clouds called cirrus clouds. These are the same clouds that give us beautiful sunsets. It's much the same effect as the halo that forms around street lights on a foggy night, but a lot cooler to look at. All the angles have to lined up right too, so this ring only forms for an hour or so time period either side of "high moon."

You may have also heard it said that a ring around the moon means rain is 24 hours away. Most weatherlore is not true, but this one usually is!! The reason is that those cirrus clouds I was talking about stream several hundred miles ahead of cold fronts. Since cold fronts usually bring us rain, this is a very accurate predictor that rain may not be far away. Last night is a perfect example of this, because we could have showers as soon as tonight!

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