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Birmingham’s Pink Night Sky Traced to Stadium Grow Lights During Heavy Snow

Experts attribute the glow to colored LEDs at St Andrew’s reflecting off low cloud during snowfall.

Overview

  • Pictures and videos from across Birmingham showed a vivid pink and purple sky as Storm Goretti delivered heavy snow and low cloud.
  • Aerial and street-level images indicated the brightest glow near Birmingham City FC’s St Andrew’s stadium, with photos of the pitch lights circulating online.
  • Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge said snow and water droplets scatter blue light more, allowing red and pink hues from artificial sources to dominate.
  • BBC meteorologist Simon King explained that low cloud and falling snow made the sky highly reflective, amplifying stadium and city lighting.
  • Hednesford Town FC reported a comparable pink glow earlier in the week from its LED pitch lights, underscoring that the effect can recur under similar conditions.