Most Amazing Weather Phenomenon Ever!

June 19, 2005 – 11:39 pm

Ok, this is amazing! After a gorgeous day, the temp dropped from 82 degrees to about 62 degrees in a matter of about 7 minutes. The bright blue sky turned dull-yellow, like it was jaundiced. The the breeze turned to harsh wind. The trees started to sway heavily. I had to move our deck plants to safety and the deck chairs began to slide around on their own. Lightning flashed orange in the sky! Sheet lightning, then bolts! The sky began to turn orange in one section directly where Mt. Hood stands.

Codi pointed up, and we saw the creepiest, gloomiest, shapeless silvery clouds hovering above our chimney.

Codi pointed in another direction and we saw the first glimpse of a forming rainbow.

The wind kept up and the orange sheet lightning turned to white forks of light. As if synchronized, the rainbow colors turned very bright.

I’d never seen anything like this before, but the rainbow turned from a single band to a double rainbow, then it filled itself in with radiant colors. I called it a “full body rainbow” because it made itself into a full sphere of light.

Another flash of lighting (damn my slow shutter finger!) and the colorful band turned whitish yellow.

Finally the thunder rolled across the city… a deep, reverberating roar. A moment passed, then the center of the rainbow turned dark orange. (I know rainbows don’t usually have “centers” but this one did!!) Why?! Why and how did the thunder and lightning control the colors of the rainbow?!

The colors were so intense it was hard to take it all in. I kept blurting out things like “Whoa!” and “Holy Crap!” - I’m sure OMFG was in there too!

The thunder and lightning started to fade away, and as the wind died down, the colors of the rainbow started to soften with reds and purples. I think this picture looks like the rising sun of a distant planet!

More silence as the colors darkened…

The sky began to get dark and the rainbow gave a last gleaming burst of whitish light.

Then it disappeared.

Now, is that the most awesome rainbow ever?!?!