Western wildfires bringing vibrant sunsets to Delaware. Here's why.

The sunset will seem a little more spectacular tonight, but the reason for it isn't good.

The National Weather Service in Mount Holly, New Jersey posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Delaware is seeing a haziness in the sky. The haze is from smoke going over the region from fires in western North America.

This isn't a new phenomenon, the region was hit by smoke from fires out west in 2023 . Fortunately, this time the smoke will not impact air quality.

In addition, clouds and rain will start moving into the area on Monday, making the haze less visible.

"The skies will be hazy and milk, but after today there will be more clouds around with showers and storms, too," Alex Staarmann, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service's Mount Holly office said.

Fall weather forecast: What the Old Farmer's Almanac says Delaware should expect from the weather this fall

Western fire smoke improves sunsets, sunrises

The smokey haze will help produce a spectacular sunset this evening. As the sun descends toward the horizon, the sun's light will interact with the hazy clouds causing a colorful sunset.

"The sun, especially if there are clouds, will appear more orange and red," Starrmann said. "It will be more vibrant.

"The way the light scatters and is absorbed by the clouds highlights the orange and red" he added. "As the sun gets closer to the horizon, it passes through the haze and you'll see it more."

The vibrant colors are seen both at sunset and sunrise.

Delaware weather forecast

However, if you want to see the vibrant orange and red sunset, it's best to head out tonight or tomorrow morning. Cloudy weather will impact viewing this coming week.

Here's a look at the forecast from the National Weather Service .

• Monday: Sunny with a chance of afternoon thunderstorms. Highs ranging from the upper 80s.
• Tuesday: Cloudy and humid with highs in the 80s. There is a chance for thunderstorms throughout the state.
• Wednesday: Partly cloudy with some breaks of sun. Highs in the mid to upper-80s. There is a chance of showers and thunderstorms.
• Thursday: Sunny with highs in the mid-90s. There's a chance of thunderstorms in Kent and Sussex counties.
• Friday: Sunny and humid with highs in the 90s. There's a chance of thunderstorms throughout the state.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Western wildfires bringing vibrant sunsets to Delaware. Here's why.