Halo Around The Moon In Northeast Georgia

(Cleveland)- If you went outside Tuesday night between 9 and 10 PM, you were probably amazed by the very bright "Halo" around the Moon which was directly overhead. This beautiful sight is sometimes a source of amazement and wonder for some folks....and somewhat disturbing and unsettling for others who don't know what causes it.
 
We don't observe this phenomenon often. However, it is sometimes seen about 24 to 48 hours in advance of ice or snowfall.
 
Basically what happens is that enormous quantities of tiny ice crystals form up in the stratosphere and when they concentrate at just the right height, they refract the Moon's light, causing it to create the illusion of a ring or halo when seen from the ground.
 
As it happens, we had  snow and ice in the forecast.