Planet Earth

Wind Storm Turns the Sky Green

People saw a green-tinged sky as storms swept throughout the country. People in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, saw a unique sight Tuesday as storms rolled across the country: a green-tinged sky.

David Attenborough

July 5, 2023

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People saw a green-tinged sky as storms swept throughout the country. People in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, saw a unique sight Tuesday as storms rolled across the country: a green-tinged sky.

A storm tints the sky a vivid green near Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on July 5, 2022, in this image taken from social media. Twitter: Nathen Erickson/@TwstdSkyStudios

Meteorologists verified it was a “derecho” – a broad and long-lasting straight-line windstorm caused by a group of fast-moving severe thunderstorms. To be classified as such, the swath of wind damage must be more than 250 miles long, have wind gusts of at least 58 mph over the majority of its length, and have many wind gusts of at least 75 mph.

Thunderstorms passed over the skies above Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on July 5, 2022. Shawn Hinnant’s courtesy of Storyful

On July 5, 2022, a storm generated a brilliant green sky over Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Winds were reported at 96 mph in Huron, South Dakota, and around 99 mph in Howard, South Dakota, on Tuesday. Grapefruit-sized hail has also been observed in Sioux, Nebraska.

On July 5, 2022, a storm generates a brilliant green sky over Sioux Falls, South Dakota. @jkarmill/Twitter

On July 5, 2022, a storm produced a spectacular display of swirling clouds and a green sky about 20 miles west of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Twitter: Nathen Erickson/@TwstdSkyStudios

On Wednesday, storms moved eastward and over the Mid-Atlantic, with a possible tornado flattening many buildings in Goshen, Ohio, and high winds from Colorado to Virginia.