Did you notice the sun looked a little red/pink as it rose this morning? You're not alone and you're not crazy. Atmospheric smoke is creeping back into our area today.
You can click on the story below that I wrote earlier this summer about why smoke in the sky makes the sun appear a different color to our eyes.
Over the last several weeks, you have probably noticed the sun (or moon) looked a little bit more pink or orange than normal. We've seen some beautiful photos sent into WDRB of that very phenomenon. It's caused by smoke particles in the atmosphere, but today we are going to look at why smoke can do this to the sun.
The satellite image below shows heavier concentrations of smoke west of us, but notice what's happening in the northern Plains. That's where the smoke seems to be the worst in this image.
As the wind pattern above our heads shifts in the next couple days, that flow will bring more smoke to us. As a ridge builds in our region, it will bring higher concentrations of atmospheric smoke tomorrow and Sunday. Most of this will be above our heads, but if you have breathing issues or a heart or lung condition, keep in mind that Sunday looks like the worst day at this point.
As you see the haze develop in the sky or the sun take on a reddish hue, please send us your pictures! We didn't get any this morning that I can share with you, but we did get several reports of seeing that coloring of the sun. We would love to be able to share your photo online, on social media, and on television to help tell this weather story.
