Fall Streak and Hole Punch in Florida

Provided by: Vicki Harrison
Summary Author: Jim Foster, Vicki Harrison

This magnificent sunset, which includes a hole punch cloud and fall streak, was taken from Jay, Florida. I was watching this glorious scene from my front porch on December 17, 2007. Hole punch clouds form from ice crystals falling through a shallow layer of clouds. When this happens, supercooled droplets in the lower cloud freeze. The resulting heat of fusion (latent heat released when freezing occurs) warms the air and evaporates the surrounding cloud, producing a definite hole. Note the streaks falling "through" the hole -- referred to as fall-streaks.