KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — The sky, sun, and moon in Michigan have all had a different tint lately due to wildfires in the west, but what exactly makes it look that way? Over 1.2 million acres burning in the west are creating beautiful sunrises and sunsets for Michigan residents, but it actually has very little to do with what specifically is burning far away.
Microscopic smoke particles transported by miles of flaming timber to the upper atmosphere scatter sunlight or moonlight. It blocks shorter wavelengths like yellows, greens, blues, and violets while enabling the longest wavelength, red, to come blazing through when the sun and moon are at a low angle. Late in the day, the sun overhead changes it to a more milky grey hence, we’re hearing ‘filtered sunshine’ often in our weather forecasts lately.
With a long, dry fire season in the Northwest and Canada ahead we’ll hear it again and again before the snows arrive.
(Agriculture Reporter Rick Shields contributed to this featured content)
