A fallstreak hole puzzled some Valley residents. Here’s what it is

Did you notice something strange in the sky today? 

People across the Valley took to social media with photos of the sky depicting an out of place circular shape between clouds, which prompted jokes and gifs placing the reasoning on aliens.

No, that wasn’t Jean Jacket from “Nope” either, but rather a fallstreak hole. 

Also known as a hole punch cloud, the phenomenon shows large circular or elliptical gaps in mid- to high-level cirrocumulus or altocumulus clouds, according to NOAA’s National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, or NESDIS. 

The National Weather Service says those types of clouds are often composed of tiny water droplets that are much colder than freezing, but have yet to freeze. 

Those “supercooled” water droplets need a “reason” to freeze, which the NWS says usually comes in the form of ice crystals.

According to a study conducted by the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, supercooling is a state where liquids do not solidify even below their normal freezing point. 

The NWS continued to say that planes passing through the cloud layer can bring those ice crystals.

Once ice crystals are introduced, the water droplets quickly freeze, grow and start to fall, which results in a hole being left behind and begins to expand outward as surrounding droplets start to freeze, the NWS said. 

The phenomenon was seen throughout the Valley, with some Reddit users posting photos of the sky from Rio Grande City to Mission. 

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