Yellow and orange in the air? Here’s why you might see stormy KC skies change colors

Tuesday’s thunderstorms changed the sky around Kansas City.

Some areas in midtown saw the sky turn yellow, while others reported that the sky was orange in parts of Kansas as powerful thunderstorms swept through the region.

The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center has also placed the Kansas City area under a marginal risk of severe weather Wednesday, which indicates that severe storms could develop. Meanwhile, areas west of Kansas City are under a slight risk of severe weather.

With another round of thunderstorms expected to come through Kansas City, will the sky change colors again? Here’s what you need to know about the sky.

Why does the sky change colors?

The orange, yellow or pink tint Kansas Citians saw Tuesday happened in the afternoon, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says that’s when the sky is most likely to change.

NOAA says most thunderstorms occur in the late afternoon and evening. The sun often begins to set at the time of the day when a thunderstorm happens.

“The orange hue is caused by the same process that causes the vivid colors at sunsets,” NOAA said in a blog post. “Shorter wavelengths of light (blue) are scattered quickly, leaving only the yellow-orange-red end of the spectrum.”

The timing of the storms in the Kansas City area Wednesday is after 7 p.m. and overnight, so don’t be surprised if the sky is a different shade again. The same could be true Thursday, when widespread showers and storms are possible, bringing hail, strong winds and heavy rains.