8 weather wonders to look for throughout 2025

From oddly shaped clouds to rainbowlike colors in the sky, there are plenty of fascinating weather phenomena that can capture your attention, even when there's no storm in sight.

Whether you're a seasoned skywatcher or simply enjoy witnessing the wonders of nature, here are eight intriguing sights to look for in the sky throughout the new year.

Sun dogs shine behind caribou antlers on snowy Hudson Bay coast, Churchill, MB, Canada (Photo by: Dennis Fast / VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

When a veil of clouds drapes the sky, be on the lookout for sun dogs -- pieces of rainbows that glow to the left and right of the sun. They often appear in pairs when sunlight shines through thin clouds high in the atmosphere, scattering light like a prism. And if you're lucky and the conditions are right, you might even catch a full halo encircling the sun.

Mammatus clouds cover the sky over the Ernst-Taehlmann-Park housing estate after a thunderstorm in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, March 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

If you experience a thunderstorm in 2025, be sure to step outside and look to the sky after it passes for the chance to spot a unique type of cloud that looks like giant bubbles. Unlike most clouds that form when air rises in the sky, mammatus clouds are caused by moist air sinking toward the ground, resulting in their pouchlike appearance. They are typically seen in the wake of strong thunderstorms but occasionally appear near gusty showers.

Sun rays fall through clouds in the outskirts of Frankfurt, Germany, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

Sometimes, it's not the shape of a cloud that can create a breathtaking scene but its effects on the sky. When clouds block out the sun but not the entire sky, it can result in beams of light known as crepuscular rays.

Many people have seen a rainbow arch across the sky, creating a ribbon of colors as rain falls nearby, but few have seen two at once. Rainbows appear when sunlight is reflected by raindrops, similar to a prism. However, when the raindrops reflect the light two times, it creates a dimmer second rainbow, a rare event known as a double rainbow.

A view of the northern lights by the Eklutna Lake in Alaska, United States, on Dec. 31, 2024. (Photo by Hasan Akbas/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The aurora borealis put on quite the show over the United States multiple times in 2024, and 2025 promises even more opportunities to witness these celestial light displays. The sun creates these stunning auroras, and while predicting when the aurora will be visible more than a few nights in advance is tricky, we know the sun will be bustling with activity all year long. This means plenty of chances for the northern lights to dance over the United States.

A rainbow illuminated by the full moon, near the ocean vent of the Kilauea Volcano. Stars fill the sky. (Photo by © Roger Ressmeyer/CORBIS/VCG via Getty Images)

When gazing upon one of the 12 full moons in 2025, be sure to look for a nighttime rainbow, called a moonbow. The moonlight is only bright enough to create a moonbow on the nights surrounding a full moon and, like its daytime counterpart, requires water droplets in the air to form.

A fogbow over the Arctic Sea at Svalbard, Norway. (Photo by: Arterra/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Another rainbowlike event to look for throughout the year is a fogbow. Unlike a colorful rainbow, most fogbows are white although they can sometimes appear with faint colors. They can only be seen when the sun is lower in the sky, so be sure to look for a fogbow the next time you head outside on a foggy day.

A large lenticular cloud over the peak of Mt. Rainier, Washington State, at dusk. (Getty Images/karen crewe)

If you have seen a cloud that looks like a UFO, it might have been a mesmerizing lenticular cloud. These fascinating formations are caused by waves in the atmosphere. When air blows into a mountain, it's forced up and over the landscape, which can generate lenticular clouds. Because of this, lenticular clouds are most common across the western U.S., including around Mount Rainier, but can appear anywhere when the conditions are right.