Murky Green Skies Over Sioux Falls: When a Derecho Paints the Clouds

Have you ever glanced up and wondered if the world was about to turn into a surreal painting? That’s exactly what residents of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, experienced on Tuesday when a powerful derecho raced through the region. Instead of the usual ominous grays, the sky transformed into an almost alien shade of green—so murky, it looked like nature was mixing paint on the horizon. This eye-catching phenomenon didn’t just stay local; it went viral online, sparking a global conversation about extreme weather, viral photos, and the unexpected fame that can come with a single snapshot.

What Is a Derecho and Why Did It Slam the Midwest?
When you hear “derecho,” you might imagine a distant scientific term, but in simple words, it’s a widespread, long-lived windstorm associated with a band of rapidly moving thunderstorms. Think of it as a line of angry clouds that suddenly decide to unleash hurricane-force winds over hundreds of miles. On Tuesday, the National Weather Service confirmed that this derecho rolled through South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa before sweeping into other parts of the Midwest.

• Anatomy of a Derecho: At its core, a derecho starts when intense thunderstorms merge and form a consolidated squall line. Once that happens, the storm’s downdrafts become so powerful that they flatten trees, knock out power lines, and send debris flying like confetti at a parade gone wrong.
• Why It Targeted the Plains: Warm, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico collided with cooler, drier air from the north—nature’s recipe for drama. As the storms energized, the wind speeds soared well beyond 70 miles per hour in some areas. In Sioux Falls, people reported gusts that felt like you were standing next to a freight train.

By afternoon, that relentless wind and heavy rain were already charting a course across the state, leaving a trail of toppled trees and shuddered houses. But what people remember most isn’t the damage—it’s the sky.

Witnessing the Unusual Sky Colors in Sioux Falls
Have you ever seen a sky painted with black, blue, gray, and even murky green hues all at once? Picture driving home, expecting a typical storm, and suddenly feeling like you’re on another planet. That’s exactly how Patty Miller describes it. She looked out her window in southeastern South Dakota and saw clouds swirling in shades she’d only seen in sci-fi movies.

• From Black to Green: As thunderclouds rolled in, the leading edges looked ominously black, like spilled ink. Behind them, flashes of electric blue flickered, and the heavier portions of rain-laden clouds appeared slate gray. But the most striking part was that eerie green glow—like a giant, murky lake hovering above the city.
• Natural Lightshow or Ominous Warning? Some people believe a green sky signals tornado potential. In reality, it’s all about how storm clouds scatter sunlight. When thick hail and water droplets fill the atmosphere just right, they can filter out red and yellow wavelengths, leaving the sky with that ghostly green tint. It’s nature’s own built-in filter—an almost apocalyptic reminder that severe weather is no joke.

Residents grabbed their phones, texted friends, and posted to social media as the sky shifted from one dramatic color to the next. But one photo stood out.

Behind the Viral Photo: Miller’s Perspective
Ever noticed how one person’s snapshot can become everyone’s talk? That’s what happened when Patty Miller—armed with nothing more than a hobbyist’s camera—captured the green sky in surprisingly crisp detail. She was simply at home, ready for Monday-night football, when the sky started acting up like an unpredictable artist mixing colors on the fly. Without planning to go viral, she lifted her camera, snapped a shot, and kept going about her day.

• A Photo Goes Rogue: Miller’s brother in Missouri spotted the image on local news channels. A coworker in Mexico saw it splashed in a newspaper. Before she knew it, the picture was circulating all over the internet—Twitter, Facebook, Instagram—you name it. But here’s the twist: many people shared it without credit, treating her work like an open-source meme.
• Cool Yet Overwhelming: Miller admits it was thrilling—who wouldn’t be excited to see your photo traveling the world? But there’s a fine line between excitement and overload. It’s one thing to see your name in the credits; it’s another to feel invisible while your art gets applause. She’s not planning to chase viral fame—it just happened. One second, she’s snapping pics of her dog, the next, she’s an internet celebrity for weather photography.

Even though she’s a bit stunned by the attention, Miller isn’t complaining. “It’s cool to know people all over are talking about our little corner of South Dakota,” she says. Yet, she wishes folks would at least add a “Photo by Patty Miller” when they hit “share.”

Global Spread: From Missouri to Mexico, the Photo Travels
Isn’t it wild how a local event can echo around the globe in seconds? Miller’s green-sky photo tickled people’s curiosity everywhere.

• Brother in Missouri: He called her as soon as he saw the image on TV. “Are those your clouds?” he jokingly asked. That moment made her realize the photo had broken past state lines.
• Co-worker in Mexico: One morning at work, she found a printed newspaper clipping on her desk, courtesy of a colleague visiting from Mexico City. The headline read something like “Alien Sky Over South Dakota,” and beneath it was Miller’s photo—no mention of who took it. Suddenly, she felt like she was in a sci-fi thriller, except she was holding a coffee mug instead of a ray gun.

Even though the lack of attribution bothered her, she couldn’t help but smile at how many people were fascinated by one shot. It shows that, in an instant, a simple photograph can spark conversations continents away.

The Meme Culture: Funny and Overwhelming at Once
If you’ve spent any time online, you know memes can be relentless. People mashed up Miller’s sky photo with everything from “Stranger Things” posters to sci-fi movie scenes. Some captions joked about Martians invading; others joked the sky looked like melting kiwi. While many of these memes tickled her funny bone, Miller admits a few crossed the line.

• Uncredited Memes Galore: The internet has a tendency to forget where things originate. Her photo was repurposed and reposted hundreds of times without so much as a “thanks for the shot.” Each repost was like a virtual elbow in the ribs—fun, but with a sting of annoyance.
• The One Meme She Cares About: Despite all the random meme chaos, there’s one creation she actually wants people to notice: a meme starring Sioux Falls Twitter personality Bryce Wollmann. Instead of a sci-fi joke, it’s more a tongue-in-cheek tribute to local culture, pairing Wollmann’s signature expressions with Miller’s swirling green clouds. She thinks it strikes the right balance between humor and hometown pride.

In a digital world where images swirl around faster than storm clouds, it’s easy to feel lost in the shuffle. But when someone crafts something funny and smart—especially if it nods to community icons like Wollmann—it feels more like a high-five than another random share.

Why the Sky Turned Murky Green: The Science Behind It
Have you ever wondered why severe storms sometimes paint the sky green? It’s not magic or aliens—it’s simple optics colliding with meteorology.

• Sunlight and Storm Clouds: When sunlight hits a thick, rain-heavy cloud, the water droplets and hailstones inside act like lenses, filtering out certain light wavelengths. Specifically, red and yellow hues get scattered or absorbed, leaving behind blue and green. Because green sits in the middle of the color spectrum, intense storms often tint clouds that color if conditions align just right.
• Hail and Heavy Rain Play a Role: Large hail stones can enhance the greenish tint, acting like miniature prisms that focus light. If you think about a rainbow, it’s all about splitting white light into its component colors. In a green-sky scenario, the storm cloud is essentially splitting light and filtering out everything but green.
• Why It Feels Ominous: Historically, farmers and storm chasers have treated a green sky as a warning sign. It often implies hail or even tornadoes might follow. So, when you see green, your instinct might be to seek shelter. In Sioux Falls, people did exactly that—many stormed inside just seconds before torrents of rain and gusty winds proved exactly how serious the derecho was.

Tips for Capturing Storm Photos (Like Miller Did)
If you’re tempted to chase storms (cautiously, of course) and grab your own viral shot, here are a few pointers:

1. Keep Your Camera Handy: You never know when clouds will shift from dull gray to vivid green. A smartphone or DSLR in easy reach can make all the difference.
2. Use Manual Settings if Possible: Lower your shutter speed slightly to capture dramatic cloud movement. Increase ISO just enough so you can keep the aperture small, maintaining depth of field.
3. Safety First: Stay in a safe location—preferably indoors or inside a vehicle. Extreme winds and lightning are no joke. Always have an escape route planned.
4. Frame the Scene: Include a familiar landmark—like downtown Sioux Falls or a well-known tree—to give viewers context. That contrast will make your sky look even more surreal.
5. Credit Yourself: If you post online, watermark subtly or include your name in the caption. That way, if your photo takes off, you get the credit you deserve.

Conclusion
The derecho that swept through South Dakota didn’t just bring destructive winds and heavy rain—it painted the sky with a vision many of us only dream of. From the haunted green clouds to the instant social media frenzy sparked by Patty Miller’s photo, it reminded us of the raw power and unexpected beauty of severe weather. Sure, a green sky might feel like a scene from a sci-fi thriller, but it’s simply nature’s way of filtering light through hail and rain. It’s a dramatic display that leaves us both awed and cautious—nature’s reminder to stay humble and prepared. And in a world where one photo can circle the globe in seconds, Miller’s experience highlights how a single moment can spark conversations from Missouri to Mexico, turning a local sky into an international spectacle. Whether you’re a storm chaser, a casual observer, or someone who appreciates a good meme, the strange, murky green skies over Sioux Falls are proof that Mother Nature still knows how to grab our attention—and our imaginations—like nothing else can.