A rare moonbow, or lunar rainbow, appears over the Anza-Borrego Desert Dec. 28, 2020.
A day of rain and snow in Southern California ended with a rarely seen lunar rainbow over the Anza-Borrego Desert as the first significant storm of the season moved out of the region.
The unusual sight, one of a few during Monday’s winter storm, stretched across the horizon as night fell over the desert east of San Diego.
Sicco Rood
A rare moonbow, or lunar rainbow, appears over the Anza-Borrego Desert Dec. 28, 2020.
Valerie Case
The view from Torrance Beach Dec. 28, 2020.
Heather Furlong
A rainbow near Point Mugu Dec. 28, 2020.
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Snow in the Yucaipa area Dec. 28, 2020.
Andrea Lopez
Hail in La Habra Dec. 28, 2020.
Monica Guereque
Hail blankets a street Dec. 28, 2020 in La Habra.
Amy-Jo Luna
Sledding in La Habra Dec. 28, 2020.
Jennifer Vargas
A wintry scene in Brea Dec. 28, 2020.
Dave Kampa
A storm Dec. 28, 2020 brought hail, rain and snow to Southern California.
James Johnson
Hail in La Habra Dec. 28, 2020.
Sean Mount
A rainbow appears Dec. 28, 2020 in the Whittier Hills area.
Amy-Jo Luna
Sledding in La Habra Dec. 28, 2020.
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A person wearing a face mask takes pictures from a viewing area overlooking the Hollywood sign shrouded by clouds during heavy rains as seen from the Griffith Observatory on December 28, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. – Los Angeles residents woke up to rain today as the first major storm of the season hit the area. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
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LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 28: Clouds drift over the L.A. Basin as rain falls during the last storm of the year in a view from the Griffith Observatory on Monday, Dec. 28, 2020 in Los Angeles, CA. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Glenn King
A fresh layer of snow blankets the mountains near Beaumont Dec. 28, 2020.
“Anytime you get enough light hitting rain drops, you can get refraction of light and end up with a rainbow,” said NBC4 forecaster David Biggar. “They’re just so rare to see at night because they’re so faint and hard to make out because your eyes at night are not sensitive to color like that.”
Moonbows are usually fainter than solar rainbows because not as much light is reflected from the moon’s surface. But when they are discernible, the night-time rainbows make for a spectacle.
