It’s not your imagination — winter sunsets really are more vivid, and the reason is refreshingly simple physics.

Cold air holds less moisture and less haze than summer air. With fewer large particles to scatter light indiscriminately, the shorter blue wavelengths scatter out cleanly while reds and oranges pass through, producing sharper, more saturated color. Lower sun angles stretch that light through more atmosphere, amplifying the effect.

The best conditions: a cold, dry evening right after a front passes, with a few high clouds left to catch the light.