Mobile Weather Lab Captures Large Double Rainbow In Jefferson County

By Chris Spears
DENVER (CBS4) - The CBS4 Chevy Mobile Weather Lab caught a beautiful double rainbow while tracking afternoon showers in Jefferson County on Tuesday.

A rainbow is formed as sunlight enters and reflects off the back of raindrops. Light along the reflection is refracted which creates the spectrum of colors we see.

If the sunlight is reflected twice a second rainbow can sometimes be seen, known as the double rainbow. The secondary rainbow is typically very faint and the colors are reverse of the primary rainbow.

Anytime a rainbow is sighted the sun is always at your back, which is why afternoon and evening rainbows are seen in the east and morning rainbows are found in the western sky.

Meteorologist Chris Spears writes about stories related to weather and climate in Colorado. Check out his bio, connect with him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter @ChrisCBS4.