Light Pillar Phenomenon Recorded At Vermont Ski Resort

Ella Boyd
·2 min read
2

Jay Peak in Vermont has a lot to brag about. Lots of snow, hardcore ski culture, and... light pillar sightings?

A beautiful photo posted to Instagram today showcased the phenomenon. The sky almost looks like the Northern Lights, or an aurora. But no, it is a weather phenomenon called "light pillars."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jay Peak Resort (@jaypeakresort)

Officials at Jay Peak give us a lesson in the sighting.

"Light Pillars are a interesting phenomenon that often occur when the air is cold. They are able to form when light at the surface reflects off of ice crystals in the atmosphere."

More specifically, KOAA News in Southern Colorado writes that "tiny (about 0.02 mm) ice crystals will form and remain suspended in the atmosphere near the surface. The suspended ice crystals are great reflectors, beaming city lights back down to your eyes/camera lens.

"Usually, these are plate-shaped ice crystals, which form at temperatures of 14° to -40° Fahrenheit or -10° to -40° Celsius."

So, the ideal situation for this phenomenon to occur is on "frigid winter nights." And Vermont is a place where it's frigid a lot. 

Hey, at least Vermonters have something to show for their frostbite and struggles in the middle of winter.

Jay Peak also reminds us that because "ideal weather conditions are on cold nights with high humidity and little to no wind," this "also happens to be ideal weather for making snow on Paradise Meadows and Angels Wiggle."

Does snow even need to be made anymore?

In the last 24 hours, Jay Peak got an inch of fresh snow, and in the past 72 hours they have gotten 7 inches.

Jay Peak is currently at 92 inches this season, with another 8 inches predicted to fall on Monday.

What are you waiting for? Get after it, and when you're done and the sun sets, look up at the sky. Maybe you'll see those crazy light pillars. Or, maybe just snow falling.

Related: Powder Patrol: Jay Peak Confirms Opening Day

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