14 Rainbow Photos And 2 Videos From A Rare December 30 Treat In Maryland

Monday December 30 2019

This is not the time of year we would expect rainbows, but it happen and just happened today across Baltimore and parts of central Maryland. I know we have one more day left, but can we call this a spectacular end to the decade?

I am blessed to have so many people share their weather experience with me so I can turn around and share them with you. Do you make a wish, look for the end, or take this as a sign from the ‘beyond’? Whatever you believe, I think we can all agree a rainbow is a special sight and worth stopping for to soak in.

Below is the collection of the rest of the 14 photos (in no particular order), plus two videos. It would be great if you can go back to the post on Twitter or Facebook where you saw this article and let us know which one is your favorite.

Rainbow Science

All it took was a break in the rain and a peak of sun to refract off the falling drops in the distance. The thing that makes this extra special was that it was during the 1 PM hour.  The angle the sun needs to hit the drops for proper refraction is 42º. Usually that happens late in the day or evening in spring and summer.  But we are just one week after the winter solstice, so early afternoon the sun was low enough for this to happen.

For a double rainbow, we need the sun angel to hit the drops at about 51º, this causes a reflection within the drop. The result is a dimmer arch of colors in reverse order. The primary rainbow will alway have red on top, but the secondary will have red on the bottom.  The rest of the order follows ROY-G-BIV that you may remember from school. (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet).

 

Primary Rainbow Angle

Secondary Rainbow Angle

Rainbow and Double Rainbow Photos

Ravens Pride in Ellicott City

Thanks Kelly Marie

 

Double arches over the ‘Golden Arch’ in Arundel Mills.

Thanks Pete Brewer. I hope your wish for French Fries came true.

 

 

Bowie, MD

Perfect timing, or was the traffic signal showing Kelli which way to turn to follow the rest of the rainbow?

 

South River Video

Thanks to Sam Antha

 

 

Baltimore Rainbow

I’m glad Katie got this all in one photo, but she added in a video clip from Federal Hill as well.

Video Clip

rainbow baltimore Katier Hamil

 

Laurel, MD

If you look closely, you can see the reflection in the wet pavement

Dawn sent a close up of the amazing colors

 

Howard County Police – lighting it up. 

Better to see the lights in the sky than on the top of the cruiser.

 

 

Jessup, MD

Jeff Walters saw this and another reflection in the wet pavement.

 

Odenton, MD

Thanks Toy Evens. If someone had to work there today, I hope it was worth it.

 

Harmans, MD

Thanks Carl Thomas. I’m surprised some of those trees are still green.

 

Ellicott City (again)

April Knight took this, in the ‘day’ at the end of December… but it felt like April.

Catonsville, MD

Joshua Smith’s 11 year old daughter snapped this pic just as the rain was ending.  I don’t know if she went to that neighbor’s house to look for the ‘treasure’.

 

 

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