Highcharts - change background color along specific date range

Question

Given a simple date-time(x) versus value(y) plot in highcharts, is it possible to change background-color, given 2 dates as ranges? In other words, each given range will define a 'rectangle' with some specific color.

jsfiddle:

http://jsfiddle.net/gh/get/jquery/1.9.1/highslide-software/highcharts.com/tree/master/samples/highcharts/demo/spline-irregular-time/

Code:

$(function () {
    $('#container').highcharts({
        chart: {
            type: 'spline'
        },
        title: {
            text: 'Snow depth in the Vikjafjellet mountain, Norway'
        },
        subtitle: {
            text: 'An example of irregular time data in Highcharts JS'
        },
        xAxis: {
            type: 'datetime',
            dateTimeLabelFormats: { // don't display the dummy year
                month: '%e. %b',
                year: '%b'
            }
        },
        yAxis: {
            title: {
                text: 'Snow depth (m)'
            },
            min: 0
        },
        tooltip: {
            formatter: function() {
                    return '<b>'+ this.series.name +'</b><br/>'+
                    Highcharts.dateFormat('%e. %b', this.x) +': '+ this.y +' m';
            }
        },

        series: [{
            name: 'Winter 2007-2008',
            // Define the data points. All series have a dummy year
            // of 1970/71 in order to be compared on the same x axis. Note
            // that in JavaScript, months start at 0 for January, 1 for February etc.
            data: [
                [Date.UTC(1970,  9, 27), 0   ],
                [Date.UTC(1970, 10, 10), 0.6 ],
                [Date.UTC(1970, 10, 18), 0.7 ],
                [Date.UTC(1970, 11,  2), 0.8 ],
                [Date.UTC(1970, 11,  9), 0.6 ],
                [Date.UTC(1970, 11, 16), 0.6 ],
                [Date.UTC(1970, 11, 28), 0.67],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  0,  1), 0.81],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  0,  8), 0.78],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  0, 12), 0.98],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  0, 27), 1.84],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  1, 10), 1.80],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  1, 18), 1.80],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  1, 24), 1.92],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  2,  4), 2.49],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  2, 11), 2.79],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  2, 15), 2.73],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  2, 25), 2.61],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  3,  2), 2.76],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  3,  6), 2.82],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  3, 13), 2.8 ],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  4,  3), 2.1 ],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  4, 26), 1.1 ],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  5,  9), 0.25],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  5, 12), 0   ]
            ]
        }, {
            name: 'Winter 2008-2009',
            color:'red',
            data: [
                [Date.UTC(1970,  9, 18), 0   ],
                [Date.UTC(1970,  9, 26), 0.2 ],
                [Date.UTC(1970, 11,  1), 0.47],
                [Date.UTC(1970, 11, 11), 0.55],
                [Date.UTC(1970, 11, 25), 1.38],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  0,  8), 1.38],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  0, 15), 1.38],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  1,  1), 1.38],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  1,  8), 1.48],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  1, 21), 1.5 ],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  2, 12), 1.89],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  2, 25), 2.0 ],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  3,  4), 1.94],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  3,  9), 1.91],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  3, 13), 1.75],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  3, 19), 1.6 ],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  4, 25), 0.6 ],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  4, 31), 0.35],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  5,  7), 0   ]
            ]
        }, {
            name: 'Winter 2009-2010',
            data: [
                [Date.UTC(1970,  9,  9), 0   ],
                [Date.UTC(1970,  9, 14), 0.15],
                [Date.UTC(1970, 10, 28), 0.35],
                [Date.UTC(1970, 11, 12), 0.46],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  0,  1), 0.59],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  0, 24), 0.58],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  1,  1), 0.62],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  1,  7), 0.65],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  1, 23), 0.77],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  2,  8), 0.77],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  2, 14), 0.79],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  2, 24), 0.86],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  3,  4), 0.8 ],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  3, 18), 0.94],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  3, 24), 0.9 ],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  4, 16), 0.39],
                [Date.UTC(1971,  4, 21), 0   ]
            ]
        }]
    });
});

thanks for any help!

Answer 1

Use plotBands

Example:

http://jsfiddle.net/gh/get/jquery/1.7.2/highslide-software/highcharts.com/tree/master/samples/highcharts/xaxis/plotbands-color/

$(function () {
$('#container').highcharts({
    chart: {
    },
    xAxis: {        
        plotBands: [{ // mark the weekend
            color: '#FCFFC5',
            from: Date.UTC(2010, 0, 2),
            to: Date.UTC(2010, 0, 4)
        }],
        tickInterval: 24 * 3600 * 1000, // one day
        type: 'datetime'
    },

    series: [{
        data: [29.9, 71.5, 106.4, 129.2, 144.0, 176.0, 135.6, 148.5, 216.4],
        pointStart: Date.UTC(2010, 0, 1),
        pointInterval: 24 * 3600 * 1000
    }]
});
});

Answer 2

plotBands are what you need to accomplish this:

http://api.highcharts.com/highcharts#xAxis.plotBands

using the example you posted:

http://jsfiddle.net/jlbriggs/tv5cN/

plotBands:[{
  from:Date.UTC(1971,  0,  8),
  to:Date.UTC(1971,  2, 15),
  color:'rgba(156,156,156,.25)'
}]

Answer 3

yes you can go with plot bands

 xAxis: {
   plotBands: {
    from: fromDate,
    to: toDate,
    color: color
   }
 }