Did you know we can actually predict a particularly beautiful sunset/sunrise? It's easier than you might think and something you can teach your friends and family! Here are the ingredients you need:
1) Clouds
Yep - that's it! There's more you need to consider, but the basic requirements are pretty simple. While you can have a pretty sunrise or sunset without clouds, the most interesting and vivid ones usually have some cloud features in the sky. It helps if those clouds are in the middle or upper levels of the atmosphere, which have more ice in them.
The clouds need to be clearing west to east over our area as the sun is setting (moving in west to east for a sunrise). While that may sound like a simple thing, it's not. The timing and placement of the clouds and the clearing/moving in are the wild card in sunset/sunrise forecasting. We also saw last summer how heavy concentrations of smoke or other dust particles in the atmosphere can contribute to a colorful sunset or sunrise.
There's even a website that predicts how pretty the sunrise and sunset will be! Click here to get the link then scroll to the bottom of the page to see the forecast for tonight's sunset. We love to see your photos when the sky puts on a show! You can send those to us on social media, and you may see them on TV later.
