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Fire Rainbows: What are they?

1 year 10 months 2 weeks ago Wednesday, July 05 2023 Jul 5, 2023 July 05, 2023 10:10 PM July 05, 2023 in Weather news
Source: WBRZ Weather
Photo by: Dena Kleinpeter

"Fire Rainbows" are actually neither fire, nor rainbows. They are called so because of their bright colors and flame like appearance. 

Known as a circumhorizontal arc, these optical phenomena are formed by hexagonal plate-shaped ice crystals located in high level cirrus clouds.

So called "fire rainbows" occur mostly during the summer. When the sun angle is high in the sky, rays hit flat, hexagonal shaped ice crystals and get split into individual colors like a prism. Since there have to be thin, high clouds and sunlight has to hit them at a specific angle, this is a pretty rare sight!
When you see weather happening, share it with us! Email photos to weather@wbrz.com or submit them via the Storm Station Weather App.

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