Rainbows and Fall Foliage, Possible Plan B?

You may be wondering what Rainbows and fall colors have in common. Well, you will hear me tell of a rainbow OF fall colors but that is about the closest the two come together. (usually)

During fall foliage excursions, rainbows are probably not high in your plans. Mostly because everybody wants warm sunny days (preferably with white puffy clouds). But there is a reason that I tell you to plan your plan B’s. Because the plans of mice and men are seldom what we plan for. I don’t want to be a Debbie Downer but there is probably a 75% chance you will see a little rain during your fall foliage vacation in New England. SO, let’s put another Plan B in your pocket…

I don’t have a lot of examples because most times in the fall, I’m almost always on the road or highway when the “right atmospherics“ come together. In the image above I was on the road coming back from Chelmsford Massachusetts when a rain shower passed overhead. If you read the “right atmospherics” link earlier, you’ll understand the setting up for seeing this rainbow.

It was late afternoon and the shower passed from west to east, it was just a band of showers and that is the key. As we were already heading east towards home the rainbow kept leading me as I was looking left and right, seeking some high ground to get a panoramic view of the rainbow. I know the area and nothing came to mind except to get to the coast to get a big open view.

Flax Pond in Lynn Massachusetts (above) gave me a good view but the rainbow was moving away too quickly so I launched my drone and was able to watch it fade in the distance. Below you see what I normally see when the opportunity presents itself. Trees, telephone poles, and power wires galore, and in between all that, a beautiful “Double” rainbow.

Location is everything for getting rainbows

One time I was in a perfect location, Milan New Hampshire and it was lightly raining when we arrived at their firetower. Now this is something you have to think carefully about because a tall metal pointy tower on a hill is NOT always a good choice if it is a big storm. Lightning is my main concern. and I was not really thinking of rainbows because the clouds showed no sun from horizon to horizon. But the colors were beautifully saturated so climb I did.

I got to the highest level and looked out in different directions. I didn’t even spot the rainbow at first because there was no sunshine but while the sky above me was dark clouds, a couple of miles over, there must have been a break in the clouds to allow for refraction. But rarely do I find myself in the right place at the right time.

When the Atmospheric Circumstances Line Up

Again I find Rainbows are some of the most difficult atmospheric phenomena to capture, mostly because they require a specific set of ingredients.
First, the sun has to be behind you. Second, the rain/showers have to be traveling away in front of you and you are at the tail end of the showers. There are other variables but this is a good constant. Third, are you near a clear vantage point? These are a lot of critical factors to line up.

Well, last October, I was photographing a stone bridge and the rain was light but I could see the sun to the west was becoming brighter and I was most interested in getting back to the car to dry off my camera. As I sat there the sun came out and reflected off the sideview mirror and I woke up!

Now you need to realize I had been on the road since 8 am and it’s now 5 pm. I’m pretty tired but my mind is going over where I had just been driving, nope, no elevated clear areas. So I started driving straight toward the rainbow and scanning the road ahead for a likely place to get a nice view of the rainbow. Nothing presented itself so I pulled into a parking lot and launched my drone.

I have to say that for getting above the trees for a view, there is nothing like having a drone, (or a helicopter but mine is cheaper). The road leading off into the distance draws your eye straight to the rainbow. What I love is that the fall colors on the 14th of October around Townsend were so pretty but I had no idea from driving alomg the road. This is my first and best rainbow with the fall colors.

Perseverance

I will admit that as a plan B, you will rarely be able to plan for a rainbow and the fall colors. But before you leave your hotel, motel, or BnB in the morning, check the weather. If they say “clearing that afternoon” then take a look to see if the band of clouds is going in the correct direction (west to east) and you can try to be on higher ground with a view to the east… Maybe the magic will happen?

Jeff Foliage Folger

Autumn is a state of mind more than a time of year – Jeff Foliage

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