Red Sky At Night, Red Sky In The Morning – Everett Post

There have been some wonderful colorful sunrise and sunsets recently. I have been asked by several people lately if the saying – “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight, red sky in the morning, sailors take warning” is involved with these vibrant daybreaks and sundowns.

Indeed, there is scientific legitimacy to this longstanding phrase. The saying has ancient roots. In the Bible (Matthew 16:2-3), Jesus is attributed to, “When it is evening, ye say, fair weather, for the heaven is red. And in the morning, foul weather today for the heaven is red and lowering.”

The effervescent colors at sunrise and sunset result from scattering of sunlight by dust, aerosols, moisture in clouds, and particles suspended in the atmosphere. These time periods also are when the sun’s rays move through the greatest length of the atmosphere daily.

In the mid-latitudes, weather systems generally move from west to east. So when mid and high level clouds associated with an approaching weather system coincident with sunrise, a reddish sky can illuminate the sky. If clouds with a weather system are exiting the region at sundown, the departing clouds can also appear reddish.

This saying does not always mean there are approaching or departing weather systems. In the North Sound and throughout the coastal region of the Pacific Northwest, the complex terrain, marine environment, and associated cloudiness can also produce glorious sunrises and sunsets. Occasional weather systems moving north or south will also invalidate this saying. Yet if the timing of west to east moving weather systems is just right, sailors will either delight or take warning.