ORLANDO, Fla. – The adage “Red sky at night, sailors delight” is more than just a quaint saying—it holds genuine meteorological significance. This week, Central Florida residents witnessed this phenomenon firsthand.

On Tuesday evening, the sky above Central Florida transformed into a dramatic canvas of fiery hues, capturing the attention of many. Enthusiasts across the region eagerly shared their stunning photographs of the vibrant sky on PinIt, showcasing nature’s spectacular display.

What causes such striking colors?

In this part of the globe, weather systems predominantly shift from west to east. Earlier that day, a robust cold front had swept through the area, and in its wake, drier air began to settle in. This atmospheric change played a pivotal role in painting the sky with those vivid colors, much to the delight of both weather watchers and casual observers alike.

In our part of the world, weather systems usually move from west to east. Behind a strong cold front that moved through the region Tuesday morning, drier air was pushing through.

Since the sun is setting in the west, the light is passing through the drier airmass allows for cleaner scattering of the light.

Therefore, a red sky at night typically means quiet weather is ahead. The opposite is true if the sky is red in the morning. Inclement weather may be expected.

Why more color during sunrise and sunset?

During the afternoon, when the sun is higher in the sky, shorter wavelengths scatter much more efficiently.

Blue happens to have a short wavelength and therefore, our eyes see the scattered blue light.

During sunset, the sunlight is traveling through much more of the atmosphere than during the day.

Sunlight is white but as it passes through the atmosphere, longer wavelength colors, orange and red, make it through. Almost all of the blue light scattered out before making it through.

During winter, the sun is lower in the sky.

The cherry on top was the mid-level cloud cover around Tuesday evening. These clouds acted like a giant reflector to spread the color across the sky.