LIGHTNING THROUGH A RAINBOW

 LIGHTNING THROUGH A RAINBOW

Rain on one side… sunlight on the other — and the sky lines them up perfectly.

This happened in Northern California near Lake Tahoe, just as a storm cell moved past the pines and the Sun broke through behind it. The rainbow forms when sunlight hits raindrops at the right angle, splitting white light into color. At the same time, the dark cloud is charged and unstable, so the built-up electricity releases as lightning — a fast discharge through the air.

That’s why this moment looks so rare: the rain is still falling where the storm is, but sunlight is already clearing behind it, creating color and lightning in the same frame.

Where you can see this in the USA:

Sierra Nevada (Northern CA / Tahoe region)

Pacific Northwest (OR / WA after passing showers)

Rocky Mountain foothills (CO / WY summer storms)

Florida (sunshowers + lightning season)
Best timing: late afternoon, right as the storm edge moves away and the Sun reappears.