Why is the sky yellow? What you need to know about the skies above you
If you happen to look outside and the sky has a yellowish tint, it doesn't mean it's falling around you. It is simply a relatively rare phenomenon most likely driven by the last remnants of Hurricane Beryl.
But what else causes yellow skies? Here's what the National Weather Service has to say.
Why are the skies yellow?
Eric Hoeflich, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, New Jersey, said passing thunderstorms can leave a yellow tint that is visible to the naked eye.
"Usually, we see yellow skies after a severe thunderstorm rolls through, kind of like what we saw about ten days ago," Hoeflich said. "That produced a greenish-yellowish sky.
"But a yellow sky is nothing to be worried about."
Mammatus clouds usually form under cumulonimbus clouds due to sinking air pockets, and are often a sign of severe thunderstorms, but not always directly associated with dangerous weather.
What causes the sky to become yellow?
Outside of severe thunderstorms, a tinted sky may result from several other factors.
Poor air quality, wildfires and pollution can create different atmospheric hues, according to the Center for Science Education.
The recent wildfire in South Jersey at the Tea Time Hill Wildfire in Wharton State Forest, could also produce orange- and yellow-tinted skies.
Damon C. Williams is a Philadelphia-based journalist reporting on trending topics across the Mid-Atlantic Region.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: What is causing the yellow skies?
