Massachusetts’ Recent Morning Rainbow Was ‘Relatively Rare’

Late last week, as I sat by the window clutching my first mug of coffee that morning, the sun struggled to break the bonds of the cloud cover responsible for the much-needed overnight rain. When it seemed the sun would finally drive the clouds away, the drip-drop of raindrops on the deck resumed.

Despite the shower, the sun made progress against the clouds, and as the drops of rain glistened in the brightening sunshine, a rainbow sprouted from the western horizon near Westport.

I've seen many rainbows in my day, including triple rainbows in the valleys of Vermont, a neon-like rainbow in the mountains of Montana and most recently, a stunning double rainbow in Mansfield, Massachusetts, that only quit shining when the sun dropped below the horizon, depriving it of necessary light.

What occurred to me the other day was that I was witnessing a rainbow in the morning. I don't recall seeing a rainbow that early in the day before. To the best of my memory, all the rainbows I've seen previously were late afternoon or early evening rainbows.

Was I witnessing a weather phenomenon? I did some digging.

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While morning rainbows occur, they are "relatively rare," reported former WBZ-TV meteorologist Barry Burbank in 2016.

"It is relatively rare to have the perfect conditions to create, simultaneously, a stunning sunrise and rainbow," Burbank wrote. "This usually happens in the late afternoon to early evening."

Several folks shared photos online of the rare morning rainbow, as did I. It was good to know that others had experienced the same unusual natural event I had.