Skies erupt in color during dramatic sunrise near Washington's Mt. Rainier

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Surreal sunrise gives a spooky shadow off Mt. Rainier

The view of Mt. Rainier from Tacoma, Washington Saturday morning was a sight to behold as brilliant sunrise colors mixed with the towering volcano...and its shadow?

TACOMA, Wash. — The skies erupted in color as the sun rose across the Puget Sound area Saturday morning. And at a first brief glance, it may have appeared like Mt. Rainier followed suit!

Photos and videos from around the Tacoma, Washington, area showed a dramatic dark stripe emanating from Mt. Rainier amid the brilliant colors of the sunrise.

The sun rises behind Mt. Rainier on Nov. 20, 2022

(David Gaylord / FOX Weather)

It can give the appearance of ash coming from the volcano — but don’t worry, it’s just the mountain’s shadow!

In late autumn, the sun rises far enough south on the horizon to align right behind Mt. Rainier. As the sun rises behind the Cascades, Mt. Rainier’s tall stature makes for a lingering shadow.

And when there are clouds at just the right altitude, they make an easel for the shadow to be visible.

The phenomenon is fairly rare and best seen in the late October through January time frame for those south of Seattle, closer to where the mountain looms.

Second Mt. Rainier fake-out this year

It’s not the first time this year that Mt. Rainier has attempted to fake people out.  In September, a lenticular cloud hovering just over the summit gave the mountain the appearance it was venting steam and/or ash.

SEE WHAT MT. RAINIER DID TO SPUR A SOCIAL MEDIA FRENZY OVER VOLCANO ACTIVITY

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Lentincular cloud atop Mt. Rainier in Washington sparks volcanic fears

A few weeks ago, a weather phenomenon atop Washington's Mount Rainier sparked fears that the volcano was ready to erupt. FOX Weather's Max Gorden looked into what happened and what the chances of a real eruption actually are. 

Those clouds typically form when winds blow over and around rough terrain.

Though the actual volcano itself is quiet and has been long dormant, Rainier has erupted within relatively "recent" times on a geological time scale — about 1,000 years ago, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. 

However, its neighbor to the south, Mt. St. Helens, erupted with great fury just 42 years ago in 1980.

04:13

See how crazy weather lights up the sky every color of the rainbow

Is the sky blue? These unusual weather phenomenon prove that's not always the case.