Freezing Drizzle & Dense Fog This Morning

Freezing drizzle moves through the area this morning resulting in slick spots across portions of the region. Additionally, dense fog will spread northward this morning resulting in decreasing visibilities of 1/2 mile or less. Consequently, the combination of low visibilities and slick spots will make travel hazardous this morning. Read More >

Fallstreaks

What are they?

A fallstreak hole (also known as a "hole punch cloud") is a large circular or elliptical gap that can appear in cirrocumulus or altocumulus clouds.

How do they form?

High to mid level clouds, such as altocumulus, are often composed of tiny water droplets that are much colder than freezing, but have yet to freeze. These "supercooled" water droplets need a "reason" to freeze, which usually comes in the form of ice crystals. Planes passing through the cloud layer can bring these ice crystals.

Once the ice crystals are introduced, the water droplet quickly freeze, grow and start to fall. A hole is left behind, which will start to expand outward as neighboring droplets start to freeze.

The images below are from fallstreaks that developed on November 1, 2014 - contributed through facebook and twitter.


Houston, MN - Jamie Vix	Houston, MN - Lisa Shultz	La Crosse, WI - Maddie Schlittler	Minnesota City, MN - Tricia Duren

Rochester, MN - Grant Sherwin	Winona, MN - Jay Burros	Winona, MN - Jay Burros	...

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Freezing Drizzle & Dense Fog This Morning

Fallstreak - What Are They?