PETOSKEY — On a night that started with some rain and dark clouds, the sky was sparkling as the northern lights danced over Little Traverse Bay.
The dark clouds were likely the result of a storm moving from north to south, said Joseph DeLizio, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Gaylord.
More: PHOTOS: Northern Lights dance over Little Traverse Bay
The green and red colors in the Northern Lights were not visible to the naked eye on Monday evening, but they were visible in mobile phones and long exposure photos.
While the cloudy sky blocked part of the light show, the clouds hung low enough on the horizon for the lights to shine.
DeLizio noted that not all clouds are created equal, with some clouds being easier to see through than others.
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“If the Northern Lights are shining and there are very, very thin, translucent clouds, then you can probably still see it, but for the most part, all the other types of clouds are probably blocking a lot of it,” he said.
While showers and thunderstorms moved through the area early in the evening, some heavy clouds lingered in the sky around midnight, DeLizio said.
– Contact reporter Karly Graham at kgraham@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on Twitter at @KarlyGrahamJRN.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Northern Lights glowed in Michigan skies after rain Monday night
