Rainbows are enchanting! I’m not sure if it’s the way they so elegantly stretch across the sky or maybe it’s the hope that there might be a pot of gold at the end! Regardless, they are quite a sight!
We often think of rainbows as a summer-time treat but they can occur any time of year, as long as there is sunlight and water. The sunlight is refracted and reflected by the water droplets.
The reason we don’t see as many rainbows in the winter has a lot to do with the type of cloud that’s more prevalent in the winter.
Winter rain or snow usually fall from a grey overcast cloud that covers a large area; it’s generally cloudy everywhere. In this case, you’re missing the other rainbow ingredient, the sun!
Summertime showers come from convective clouds that don’t completely blanket the sky, so the sun is most often shining while it’s raining.
Last week Geraldine Rogers was wondering what a morning rainbow meant on a sunny day.
Well, Grandma would tell you that you’d better get out your raincoat!
In the northern hemisphere, a morning rainbow in the western sky is caused by sun in the east interacting with water droplets to the west. In general, our weather patterns travel from west to east. The moisture in the air that is reflecting the sun’s light and creating a rainbow, will in all likelihood be heading east to produce rain.
Grandma Says, "a rainbow in the morning, gives you fair warning."
If you’re ever looking for a rainbow in the sky, the quickest way is to turn your back to the sun and look straight ahead. That’s where you’ll find it!
Cindy Day is chief meteorologist for SaltWire Network. Get your regional forecast at weatherbyday.ca.
