Minnesota’s Snowy Nights Glow Bright: The Stunning Science Behind It
With one of this winter's few snowstorms bearing down on parts of Minnesota, residents across the state will likely notice how bright the night sky seems. And it doesn't just *seem* lighter, it actually *is.* Here's why.
It's been another tough winter for snow lovers here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Most areas of Minnesota have received far less snow than usual and are running a major snow deficit. The Twin Cities had recorded just 14.2 inches of snow as of February 10, nearly 15 inches behind the average snowfall of approximately 30 inches, Axios Twin Cities reported.
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This current storm taking aim at Minnesota could change things somewhat. The National Weather Service has issued a Blizzard Warning for portions of Minnesota, and much of the state is expected to experience at least some snowfall in the next day or so. Which means you'll have a chance both the next couple of days to check this strange phenomenon out: the night sky will seem unusually bright.
I've noticed this phenomenon at various times over the past few winters: the night sky seems much brighter after it snows. Heck, it's so light at night in the North Star State sometimes that it seems like you don't even have to turn on our driveway or garage lights to see what you're shoveling.
Have you noticed the same thing? As it turns out, the night sky IS brighter and lighter after a snowstorm hits the North Star State. And there's a fairly simple scientific explanation for it, too.
This story from CBS-58 meteorologist Justin Thompson-Gee in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has the simple answer:
Fresh snow has a higher reflective property than your normal grass, trees, houses, roads, etc. so it makes its surroundings brighter.
And this BringMeTheNews story confirms this phenomenon that happens after it snows: "We have our street lights, and when you have snow on the ground, that reflects a lot of light upwards into the atmosphere," Jacob Beitlich, a meteorologist from the National Weather Service in the Twin Cities, said in the story.
But wait, there's more: "If you have snow falling, all those tiny ice crystals scatter (reflect) a lot of that light, and a lot of it gets scattered back down to the ground," Beitlich said in the story.
He also noted that low clouds usually associated with a snow event tend to reflect the light back down to Earth. Without the clouds, the light usually just escapes out into the atmosphere (and things look much darker outside). He called the phenomenon the "scattering of light." So, yeah. It sounds simple, but a lighter night sky in the Bold North after it snows IS a real thing. And now you know why!
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