![]() If you prefer beach-hopping to hiking, the northern coast has quite a few to choose from, though some are easier to reach than others. For a fee, you can also visit the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge here Tuesday through Saturday to observe local seabirds and snap photos of the lighthouse even when it’s closed. The 1913 beacon opens for tours just a couple times a week, allowing guests to climb up the narrow stairwell to a watch room. ![]() In the Great Plains, we can also spot picturesque bows following springtime thunderstorms.Jutting out on an elevated peninsula as you round the corner to the northern coast of Kauai, the postcard-perfect, red-roofed Kilauea Point Lighthouse contrasts against the ocean blue. Polluted air mutes out the vivid spectrum of colors seen, thus producing a fainter rainbow.īusinger mentions that some of the next best places for hunting down rainbows include along the coast of the Pacific Northwest, Iceland and the British Islands in the spring. ![]() Businger admits they are easier to catch sight of during the wetter winter months, given the lower sun angle and better chance for rain.īeing positioned in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, away from the heavily polluted cities of the West Coast and East Asia, offers an additional advantage as well.Ĭlean air surrounding the state prevents the sunlight from being scattered by other aerosols and polluting particles, resulting in brighter, more defined rainbows. While you can view rainbows all year round in Hawaii, Dr. Hence, the best time to spot a rainbow is typical during the early morning and late afternoon hours. To get a better idea, check out NOAA's Rainbow Simulator. The angle of the sun and size of the bow are inversely proportional: a lower sun angle will yield in higher or taller rainbows, but as the sun angle increases, the arc of the bow will sink lower towards the horizon. When the sun is higher in the sky, a rainbow will form below the horizon, where it will not be visible. (AP Photo)Īt sea level, a rainbow will only be visible when the sun is at a 42 degree angle or lower from the horizon. That is, if the timing is right.Ī rainbow over a golf course on the island of Kauai. Much of the rain that falls is from small-scale, convective showers, which, along with pockets of sun, provide the perfect environment for rainbows. The interaction between the mountainous terrain and trade winds is responsible for the islands’ multiple microclimates- resulting in much higher annual rainfall totals. ![]() However, that’s not the case, all thanks to the state’s dramatic topography. ![]() In fact, the same would be true for Hawaii if it were completely flat. Most regions on the globe located within the Hadley cell are arid. As it cools, however, the air will descend towards the surface at the edge of the subtropics before warming back up as it heads back towards the equator again. In short, warm air rising near the equator is transported towards the poles. The Hawaiian islands are in a region that is controlled by the Hadley cell, a global-scale circulation process responsible for generating the trade winds and other climatic features. Unlike other states, Hawaii's geographic location and topography make it an ideal spot to see rainbows. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |