While San Diegans were hunkering down the night before Tropical Storm Hilary pummeled San Diego County with fierce winds and all-day rain, something amazing was happening in the sky.
For most of the day Saturday, grey overcast domed our sky, but out at the coast as the sun was leaning down for its goodnight kiss with the horizon, we were greeted with an amazing palette of red, orange and yellow.
Usually, a sunset with this much radiance makes its way onto everyone's Instagram feeds. But with a Tropical Storm barreling down on us, we don't blame you if you were a little preoccupied (the folks at the beach who found themselves in these photos obviously weren't). So, with Hilary in our rearview, let's marvel.
Click here to see how much rain Tropical Storm Hilary poured on San Diego County.
We can also explain why these awesome sunsets happen here from time to time. It's all thanks to a phenomenon called scattering, according to Telemundo 20 Meteorologist Ana Cristina Sanchez.
As the sun nears the horizon, there's more atmosphere between the sun and your eyes for light to travel through. And because blue light waves are shorter than the others, they're filtered out by the atmosphere leaving us with reds, oranges and pinks smeared across the sky.
Last August, Getty Images captured spectacular photos of a similarly-colored sky over Petco Park during a Padres game.
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Getty Images
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 19: A surfer walks out of the Pacific Ocean at Ocean Beach shortly after sunset with Hurricane Hilary approaching on August 19, 2023 in San Diego, California. Southern California is under a first-ever tropical storm warning as Hurricane Hilary approaches with parts of California, Arizona and Nevada preparing for flooding and heavy rains. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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Getty Images
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 19: A surfer walks out of the Pacific Ocean at Ocean Beach shortly after sunset with Hurricane Hilary approaching on August 19, 2023 in San Diego, California. Southern California is under a first-ever tropical storm warning as Hurricane Hilary approaches with parts of California, Arizona and Nevada preparing for flooding and heavy rains. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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Getty Images
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 19: People surf as clouds pass shortly after sunset at Ocean Beach with Hurricane Hilary approaching on August 19, 2023 in San Diego, California. Southern California is under a first-ever tropical storm warning as Hurricane Hilary approaches with parts of California, Arizona and Nevada preparing for flooding and heavy rains. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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Getty Images
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 19: People watch as the sun sets beneath clouds at Ocean Beach with Hurricane Hilary approaching on August 19, 2023 in San Diego, California. Southern California is under a first-ever tropical storm warning as Hurricane Hilary approaches with parts of California, Arizona and Nevada preparing for flooding and heavy rains. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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Getty Images
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 19: A person stands with a dog as the sun sets through clouds at Ocean Beach with Hurricane Hilary approaching on August 19, 2023 in San Diego, California. Southern California is under a first-ever tropical storm warning as Hurricane Hilary approaches with parts of California, Arizona and Nevada preparing for flooding and heavy rains. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 19: (L to R) Kendall Curtis, Blanca Linares, Veronica Sam and Haydee Sam gather by a fire after sunset at Ocean Beach with Hurricane Hilary approaching on August 19, 2023 in San Diego, California. Southern California is under a first-ever tropical storm warning as Hurricane Hilary approaches with parts of California, Arizona and Nevada preparing for flooding and heavy rains. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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Cassandra Torres
The sunset from the base of the Coronado Bridge on Aug. 19, 2023.
