Why San Diego's sunsets stand out

What's happening: The fall and winter see changes in the jet stream going further south, which also taps into tropical moisture from the equator, creating a subtropical jet stream that produces high clouds and various thickness and layers, National Weather Service meteorologist Alex Tardy told Axios via email.

What they're saying: "It is most common during dry periods in the winter when we just have high clouds (cirrus) which make for the amazing, enhanced sunsets and sunrises," Tardy said.

• "The cirrus layers will refract and bend the sunset/sunrise providing the orange, pink and sometimes more red (often with smoke layers in the fall)," he said.

Be smart: It's not the lower sun angle, but the abundance of tropical moisture in the air.

• San Diego also has minimal marine clouds this time of year due to Santa Ana winds, plus winter storms mixing the low clouds and fog.

Worthy of your time: Our favorite sunset spots.