Halo Means Rain is Coming

 For quite sometime I always hear when a halo is around the sun, rain is coming. So as I grew up I use that concept and it actually works. There are reasons why this concept works. A halo often marks the presents of a cold front approaching because cold front always produce cirrus clouds ahead of the storm. These cirrus clouds contain ice crystal and as sunlight passes through them they act like a prism. Bending the sunlight in different angles causes the different colors in a halo. So if you see a halo there is a good 80% chance a cold front is approaching with rain.

i would think this happens more pronounced with a warm (or occluded )front, which is characterised by much more thin high cirrus extended out from it (as opposed to a cold front which is often a sudden deteriotion in the weather (but can have lots of showers in front of it)

True… Warm fronts does produce thin wispy clouds as well, but only if the front is approaching a deep cold air mass. The more deeper the air mass, the more glide lift it will receive overriding cold air. Now, you have to be-careful with occluded fronts because you have to think of their density. Occluded doesn’t really produce cirrus, but rather cumulus clouds. Because cold air is shoving underneath warm air air. When this happens air rises, forms cumulus clouds and thunderstorms.

an occluded front was a warm front, so it stil will have the characteristics of a warm front as it approaches…unless its been occlused for a while, then it will change its spots, yes

After two fronts had become an occluded front, it usually takes approximately 6 to 8 hours before the warm front is modified. And, boy when these two fronts meet up severe weather can break out. Occluded front begins out harmless, than they become hazardous systems. However, occluded front is infrequent because it takes the right timing for two fronts to meet up. I been doing weather forecasting for 3 years and have not seen one occluded front yet.

According to my meteorology professor, he says occluded front occurs every other 2 to 4 years.

Hi
we can get them here in NZ no problems:)
(i.e near the low center)
but not that often one will pass right over your area…