We’re almost to fall and the StormForce 31 Weather Team inbox has been flooded with beautiful pictures of Tennessee Valley sunsets in recent days.

While we love seeing such wonderful images, and encourage you to keep sending, has the thought ever occurred to you as to why we see more of the spectacular images during the fall and winter seasons?

Our seasons, weather patterns, and yearning for cool nights for football all has to do with the 23.5 degree tilt of the Earth on it’s axis.

While the direct rays of the Sun aim down on the Tropic of Cancer during our warmer weather season, such direct solar radiation migrates to the equatorial regions and Tropic of Capricorn during the Fall and Winter.

This means the sun will appear lower in the the TN Valley sky and, while ultimately provide shorter days, it makes the sun light travel through more atmosphere to reach the Earth’s surface.

This process allows for more or reds and oranges light to filter across an evening sky and make for beautiful photographs like the one sent to us tonight by WAAY 31 viewer Alexandra Kaye in Crossville.

-Ben Luna