# Winter Skies-Colors?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winter-skies-colors/479279>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [December 30, 2008, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winter-skies-colors/479279 "2008-12-30T21:22:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winter-skies-colors/479279/1 "2008-12-30T21:22:11Z")

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As I write this, the sun is just setting…and there is a nice orangish glow on the eastern hrizon. This is typical of winter skies here in the NE-why the orange color?Is it reflected alpenglow?  
As a (failed) artist, I find the colors of winter skies to be fascinating-much more varied than in the summers. The clouds (at sunset) seem to be much more purple than you see n summer.

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**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winter-skies-colors/479279/2 "2008-12-30T21:24:53Z")

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I’d guess that cold air, being more dense, refracts the light more intensely during the winter. That, and the skies are typically less filled with smog and dust during the winter, too.