That solar halo that was hanging overhead when I went to lunch today is still there at 4:40 PM and the prospects for it being with us until around sunset are pretty good.

The high cirrus clouds, made up largely of ice crystals are streaming in from the west this afternoon. The ice in the clouds creates the ring around the sun as sunlight is bent when it passes through the crystals.

sun halo
© Johnny Horne

There may also be some sundogs on either side of the halo as we approach sunset. Sundogs are bright areas also caused by ice crystals that appear on either side of a solar halo. That combined with the clouds could give us a striking sunset this evening.

Check out this 4:45 PM photo made today and you'll see a sundog starting to form off the right edge of the halo.