Sunset, Crepuscular Rays and Hurricane Rosa
November 14, 2018
Photographer: Ron Smith
Summary Author: Ron Smith
The dramatic sunset featured above as observed from St. George, Utah, resulted from cloud bands generated by Hurricane Rosa. During the afternoon of October 1, 2018, high clouds spun off of Hurricane Rosa moved north across Arizona and into southern Utah. During the late afternoon, cumulus clouds began to build as a result of convection plus the injection of water vapor from Rosa. About 20 minutes after sunset, some of these clouds below the western horizon cast crepuscular rays (the bright streaks and dark lanes) against the reddened cirrus background.
Even interior areas of the Southwestern U.S., including southern Utah, picked up some rainfall from the remnants of hurricane Rosa, although most of the precipitation fell well to the southeast of St. George. Phoenix, Arizona, for example, received over 2 in (50 mm) of rain.
Photo Details: Nikon D5100 camera; Nikkor 18-55 mm lens, zoom at 40 mm; f/11; 1/200th second exposure; 3200 ISO; taken at 7:25 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time.
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