Is there a technical term for artificial light diffusion on snowy nights?

[full_metal_ox]

If you’re sighted and have experienced a heavy nighttime snowstorm in an illuminated urban area, you know what I’m talking about: the sandwich of light between the snowy white ground and snowy white sky, infusing the landscape with the soft white light of a frosted light bulb--sometimes enough to read by, certainly enough to see by. (It must be

Comments

[rusquen]

A halo, maybe?
Edit: or there's also something called a light pillar, according to Wikipedia.

[full_metal_ox]

Forgot to thank you for responding.

[roofshadow]

“soft white light of a frosted light bulb” This sounds so lovely where I, living in the urban center of a major city, have found the reflected light to be frightening and orange and bright enough that I sometimes think it has to be more than just light reflection...

Maybe it’s a form of skyglow? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyglow “Skyglow is significantly amplified by the presence of snow, and within and near urban areas when clouds are present.”

[full_metal_ox]

I’m hazarding a guess that your neighborhood has a lot of orange sodium lighting, then? (And yeah, that could have a distinctly eldritch effect.)

[roofshadow]

Maybe... the street lamps seem yellowish sometimes... But it’s like all the colors together become orange... maybe it’s pollution?

[seizansha]

Whiteout basically means it's snowing so much you can't see. Growing up in Nebraska you'd think I'd know a word for this, but all I can think of is diamond dust but that's when it's snowing during daylight so it looks like glitter falling from the sky.

[full_metal_ox]

I know it’s nearly a year after the fact, but I neglected to thank you for your help-and for a beautiful new meteorological term I’d not known.