New Yorkers on the Upper West side reported seeing what looked like a giant hole open up in the clouds above. The clouds parted and a near-perfect oval ring of blue sky opened above the city. In what looked like the start of a science fiction movie, there is a logical explanation that isn’t as exciting or fascinating as some kind of impending alien visit from above.
Holes in clouds like the one that formed above New York City are rare, but not completely uncommon. Most of the time, they go unnoticed. They have even been mistaken in the past for UFOs because of their strange appearance.
These holes are formed when the water temperature in the clouds is below freezing, but the air below is above freezing. Ice crystals form in a domino effect, leaving a hole in the clouds as the tiny particles evaporate. This can be caused by a passing aircraft that temporarily warms the air setting off the reaction.
This weather phenomena is often called a ‘fallstreak hole’ or ‘hole punch clouds’