SKYPUNCH

This is a rare meteorological phenomenon called a 'SKYPUNCH'. When people see these, they think it's the end of the world.Ice crystals form above the high-altitude cirro-cumulo-stratus clouds, then fall downward, punching a hole in the cloud cover.

The foundation of a hole punch cloud is traditionally a mid- or high-altitude cloud type such as cirrus or cirro-stratus. Such clouds generally form above 20,000 feet or so in the atmosphere. The National Weather Service has explained that such clouds are frequently composed of both ice crystals and super-cooled water droplets – water that is below the freezing temperature but still exists in liquid form. When such a delicate balance occurs, only a slight disruption of this delicate balance may lead to a striking result.