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Rainbow Season, Cottonwood Foliage Peaks, Santa Ana Winds

November through mid-February, San Diego's sun never gets higher than 42° above the horizon

Image by Chris Mannerino

”Rainbow Season” arrives with the first rains of November or December. Scattered showers are best for rainbow watching: sunlight refracting and reflecting through the raindrops causes two bows to appear — an intense circular arc at 42°, and a bigger, but weaker arc at 51° from the antisolar point (the point in the sky diametrically opposed to the sun’s position). From November through mid-February, the sun as seen from San Diego never gets higher than 42° above the horizon, so (rain and sunlight permitting) the brighter of the two arcs may appear above the horizon at any time of day. In spring and summer, rainbows are never seen in the sky around midday because the sun is too high — and the antisolar point is too low.

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Mission Trails Regional Park Father Junipero Serra Trail, San Diego

The Fremont Cottonwoods along the San Diego River in Mission Gorge are now showing off their best autumnal foliage. You can park at the Old Mission Dam historic site or the Mission Trails Regional Park visitor center and explore the riparian area by way of riverside trails, or by walking, bike riding or skating along the bike path high above the river’s south and east banks. Large cottonwoods can also be seen along other watercourses throughout the San Diego County backcountry, including along the Sweetwater River near Cottonwood Golf Course, and in Cottonwood Valley, east of Pine Valley along Interstate 8.

Palms at La Jolla Shores sway in the Santa Ana winds

Santa Ana Winds in San Diego County often reach their greatest intensity during November, particularly at the mountain passes, where dry air from a high-pressure area over the interior deserts swoops coastward toward a low-pressure area offshore. The subsiding air warms rapidly while it descends, resulting in 80° to 90° temperatures close to the coast. While passing over the mountains, though, the dry air can be surprisingly cool — 60° or less in the daytime.

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Image by Chris Mannerino

”Rainbow Season” arrives with the first rains of November or December. Scattered showers are best for rainbow watching: sunlight refracting and reflecting through the raindrops causes two bows to appear — an intense circular arc at 42°, and a bigger, but weaker arc at 51° from the antisolar point (the point in the sky diametrically opposed to the sun’s position). From November through mid-February, the sun as seen from San Diego never gets higher than 42° above the horizon, so (rain and sunlight permitting) the brighter of the two arcs may appear above the horizon at any time of day. In spring and summer, rainbows are never seen in the sky around midday because the sun is too high — and the antisolar point is too low.

Sponsored
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Mission Trails Regional Park Father Junipero Serra Trail, San Diego

The Fremont Cottonwoods along the San Diego River in Mission Gorge are now showing off their best autumnal foliage. You can park at the Old Mission Dam historic site or the Mission Trails Regional Park visitor center and explore the riparian area by way of riverside trails, or by walking, bike riding or skating along the bike path high above the river’s south and east banks. Large cottonwoods can also be seen along other watercourses throughout the San Diego County backcountry, including along the Sweetwater River near Cottonwood Golf Course, and in Cottonwood Valley, east of Pine Valley along Interstate 8.

Palms at La Jolla Shores sway in the Santa Ana winds

Santa Ana Winds in San Diego County often reach their greatest intensity during November, particularly at the mountain passes, where dry air from a high-pressure area over the interior deserts swoops coastward toward a low-pressure area offshore. The subsiding air warms rapidly while it descends, resulting in 80° to 90° temperatures close to the coast. While passing over the mountains, though, the dry air can be surprisingly cool — 60° or less in the daytime.

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Drinking Sudden Death on All Saint’s Day in Quixote’s church-themed interior

Seeking solace, spiritual and otherwise
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Trump names local supporter new Border Czar

Another Brick (Suit) in the Wall
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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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