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Expert: Dave Dombek - 7/8/2004


Question
How do rainbows appear?
A rainbow from a hose and a rainbow in the sky are they the same things?
Why do rainbows come only after rain?

Answer
Esther,
Rainbows occur when light passes through water droplets and is refracted or bent. This results in a rainbow, which contains all of the colors of the spectrum. Yes, a rainbow from a hose, sprinkler, etc. is formed the same way as a rainbow in the sky. Rainbows usually occur toward the end of a rain event (shower, thunderstorm, or steady rain). They sometimes occur when it is still raining, and sometimes occur when the rain has already stopped. The key to getting a rainbow to form is having the sky clear in order to allow the sun to shine on the raindrops. Also, the sun has to be low enough in the sky for this to happen. That is why you will almost never see a rainbow during the middle of the day...let's say from 10am to 4pm. The sun is just too high in the sky then, at least in the spring and summer. Most of the rainbows occur in the late afternoon or evening, when the sun is in the western part of the sky. However, once in awhile, you will see a rainbow form in the morning when the sun is in the east, and it shines on raindrops to the west.
I hope this answered your question.

Sincerely,

Dave Dombek
Expert Senior Meteorologist
AccuWeather.com  

Accuweather

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Dave Dombek

Expertise

A weather enthusiast from an early age, Dave Dombek is now an AccuWeather meteorology expert.

Experience

Dave received his B.S. degree in meteorology from the Pennsylvania State University in May of 1980. Dave joined AccuWeather in July of 1980, beginning in the Snow Warning Service late that fall after his few month period of training. Within a short period of time, Dave got involved in radio broadcasting. He spent over 25 years broadcasting forecasts on radio stations throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states, and has also done newspaper forecasts and television briefings. Currently, Dave is the lead television briefer for all of AccuWeather's television clients in the northeatern quarter of the nation. In his daily forecasting routine, Dave helps coordinate the forecasts in the northeastern part of the country. He is also the Director of Forecaster Hiring and is in charge of hiring new meteorologists. Finally, Dave is the supervisor of the climatology department at AccuWeather. An avid outdoorsman, Dave enjoys hunting and trout fishing. He also enjoys watching football and is a student of history and current events. If Dave doesn't already have enough on his plate, he is married with two teenage daughters. He also leads a small Messianic congregation in the State College, Pa. area.

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