Sundogs Appear Over Graceville, Minnesota After Heavy Snow and Bitter Cold

A bright sky display after a harsh winter weekend

After a weekend marked by heavy snow and freezing temperatures, residents near Graceville, Minnesota, saw an atmospheric phenomenon that can feel like a reward for enduring difficult conditions. With cold air in place and sunlight returning, ice crystals in the atmosphere helped produce sundogs—distinctive bright patches of light that appear near the sun. The result was a striking visual display in the sky, captured on video by Carole Brauer.

The timing is notable because the conditions described were not merely cold, but severe. Wind chills were reported as low as -25, a level that can make even brief time outdoors uncomfortable and potentially risky without proper protection. Yet even in such bitter weather, the sky offered a moment of beauty that stood out against the backdrop of snow and deep winter cold.

What sundogs are and why they can appear after snow and cold

Sundogs are a light phenomenon associated with ice crystals and sunlight. When the atmosphere contains the right type of ice crystals and the sun is positioned in a way that allows light to pass through them, the crystals can bend and scatter sunlight. This interaction can create bright, sometimes colorful spots of light on either side of the sun.

In the situation described near Graceville, the key ingredients were present: ice crystals and sunlight. After heavy snow and freezing temperatures, ice crystals can be present in the air, and when sunlight shines through them, the conditions may align to produce sundogs. While the weekend weather was harsh, the combination of cold air and sun created an opportunity for this kind of dazzling sky display.

Video captured in Graceville during wind chills as low as -25

Carole Brauer recorded video of the sundogs over Graceville, Minnesota. The footage highlights how dramatic the phenomenon can look when the sky is clear enough for sunlight to interact with ice crystals. The description of the scene emphasizes both the beauty of the display and the severity of the surrounding weather conditions.

Capturing video in such cold is not always easy. With wind chills reported as low as -25, even routine tasks outdoors can become challenging, and equipment can be harder to handle with gloves. Still, the resulting video serves as a record of a brief moment when the atmosphere produced something visually memorable.

Why these moments stand out during extreme winter weather

Heavy snow and freezing temperatures often dominate the experience of winter storms: travel becomes difficult, daily routines change, and safety concerns rise. In that context, a sky phenomenon like sundogs can feel especially striking. The same cold that drives wind chills down can also support the presence of ice crystals that make these displays possible.

For observers, the contrast is part of the appeal. A weekend of harsh winter weather can leave landscapes muted and conditions demanding, but a bright optical effect near the sun can add color and structure to the sky. The video from Graceville illustrates how quickly the atmosphere can shift from stormy and dangerous to calm and visually captivating, even if the air remains extremely cold.

Key details from the Graceville sighting

• The sundogs appeared after a weekend of heavy snow and freezing temperatures.
• The display was caused by sunlight interacting with ice crystals.
• The location mentioned was Graceville, Minnesota.
• Wind chills were reported as low as -25 during the period described.
• Carole Brauer captured video of the phenomenon.

Observing safely in bitter cold

Even when the sky offers a dramatic view, extreme cold conditions remain a serious factor. The description of wind chills as low as -25 underscores that the environment was still dangerous despite the beauty overhead. When temperatures and wind combine to create such low wind chills, limiting time outdoors and prioritizing warmth are important considerations.

The Graceville sundogs serve as a reminder that winter weather can produce both hazards and rare visual moments. While the phenomenon itself is driven by natural interactions between sunlight and ice crystals, the experience of seeing it is shaped by the broader weather context—heavy snow, freezing temperatures, and intense wind chill.

A winter sky show shaped by ice and light

The sundogs over Graceville were described as dazzling, and the explanation is straightforward: ice crystals and sunlight aligned to create a bright display in the sky. Coming on the heels of a snowstorm and deep cold, the sighting captured a fleeting intersection of severe winter conditions and atmospheric beauty. Through Carole Brauer’s video, the moment is preserved as an example of how winter can transform the sky as well as the landscape.