The El Paso region was treated to not one, but two rainbows as thunderstorms lit up the sky on Memorial Day.
A double rainbow appeared in the evening hours of Monday, May 25, prompting the National Weather Service to share a photo as nature showed off its vibrant display in the sky. The pair of rainbows were spotted across El Paso and Las Cruces and beyond.
“Always nice to see a rainbow and a double rainbow at that,” the National Weather Service posted on X.
El Paso received 0.36 inches of rain on May 25 at the official measuring site at El Paso International Airport, according to Katie Slusher, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
“May is one of our drier times of the year, so I’m sure this put us above normal for this time of year,” Slusher said.
Is a double rainbow rare?
A full arc double rainbow is somewhat rare and typically occurs early in the morning or late in the day when the sun is at a lower point in the sky and there are light rain showers in the area, according to CBS News,
If you look closely, you may notice that color bands are reversed in the two rainbows.
“Normal rainbows are created when sunlight is refracted off a raindrop, separating the various colors from the wavelengths of light into a band of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet, or what we commonly refer to as ROYGBIV. A double rainbow is also light refracted off raindrops. It will be near but above the main rainbow but not as bright or colorful. The color bands will be reversed, with violet at the top position in the band and red at the bottom, or VIBGYOR,” CBS News reported.
Rain, cooler temperatures in the forecast for Tuesday
Rain may make a comeback in the early afternoon hours on Tuesday, May 26, but not with same intensity the region experienced on Monday, Slusher said.
Temperatures will also be cooler than average with a forecasted high of 86 degrees on Tuesday.
“We’re going to be below normal for a change,” Slusher said. “The high of 86 degrees is about seven degrees below normal, and these (below normal) temperatures are going to last through the weekend.”
Natassia Paloma may be reached at npaloma@gannett.com, @NatassiaPaloma on x; natassia_paloma on Instagram, and Natassia Paloma Thompson on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Did you see the double rainbow? Colorful display spotted in El Paso
Reporting by Natassia Paloma, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
