Bodega Bay - Painted Sky - California Coast
Golden hour clouds lit up in orange, pink and gold
No Painted Sky opportunities in the next 14 days
Tip: Scroll down to the 72-hour table to see exactly which condition fails hour by hour.
Currently
Real-time conditionsUpcoming Opportunities
When all conditions match, PhotoWeather marks an opportunity window.
No opportunities in the next 10 days
See the blocker timeline below to understand which conditions are preventing matches.
What this forecast looks for
Plain-language explanation from the ruleThis forecast tracks the soft, pastel sunset conditions that California's marine layer creates. We monitor marine layer depth, burn-off timing, and atmospheric moisture to predict when coastal sunsets will produce gentle, painterly skies rather than dramatic fire.
California's marine layer—the famous summer fog—creates unique painted-sky opportunities when it's present but thin enough to allow diffused sunset color. This produces the soft, romantic California coast aesthetic—gentle pinks, lavenders, and peaches rather than intense oranges and reds.
What makes the California coast special for painted-sky photography:
- Marine layer diffusion - Fog layer scatters light gently, creating soft watercolor skies
- Monterey Bay pastels - The bay's frequent fog creates reliable painted conditions
- Half Moon Bay softness - Central coast marine layer produces dreamy sunset colors
- Carmel romance - Famous cypress and cove coastline under soft pastel skies
Monterey Bay offers California's most reliable painted-sky conditions—the bay's cold upwelling waters generate persistent marine layer that creates soft, diffused sunset light. When the fog is present but not too thick, sunset colors become gentle pastels. The iconic Lone Cypress at Pebble Beach photographed under painted-sky conditions embodies California coastal romance. Half Moon Bay's Mavericks area offers similar conditions, with painted skies providing counterpoint to the location's reputation for massive winter waves. Carmel's white sand beach and cypress-dotted coastline glow softly under pastel sunset conditions. San Francisco's Ocean Beach can produce spectacular painted conditions when fog sits just offshore. The key is marine layer presence without complete obscuration—our forecast tracks this delicate balance. These conditions are most common in summer when marine layer is most persistent. Painted skies create perfect conditions for silhouette work and romantic coastal scenes, with color shows that last longer than fire-sky events as diffused light persists through extended twilight.
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72-hour requirements breakdown
What passed or failed, hour by hourTime America/Los_Angeles | Golden Hour Any | Golden Clouds Potential ≥ 80.0% | Wind Speed ≤ 6.0m/s | Precipitation Chance ≤ 10.0% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, Apr 7 | ||||
| 18:00 | ✕ | 14% | 6.4m/s | 0% |
| 19:00 | ✕ | 61% | 6m/s | 0% |
| 20:00 | ✕ | 19% | 5.8m/s | 0% |
| 21:00 | ✕ | 11% | 5.9m/s | 0% |
| 22:00 | ✕ | 14% | 5.4m/s | 0% |
| 23:00 | ✕ | 29% | 4.9m/s | 0% |
| Wed, Apr 8 | ||||
| 24:00 | ✕ | 22% | 4.9m/s | 0% |
| 01:00 | ✕ | 33% | 4.2m/s | 0% |
| 02:00 | ✕ | 11% | 3.7m/s | 0% |
| 03:00 | ✕ | 9.3% | 3.8m/s | 0% |
| 04:00 | ✕ | 9.3% | 3.6m/s | 0% |
| 05:00 | ✕ | 9.3% | 3.1m/s | 0% |
| 06:00 | ✓ | 19% | 2.5m/s | 7.4% |
| 07:00 | ✓ | 21% | 0.93m/s | 0% |
| 08:00 | ✕ | 13% | 0.48m/s | 0% |
| 09:00 | ✕ | 9.3% | 0.27m/s | 17% |
| 10:00 | ✕ | 8.5% | 1.3m/s | 33% |
| 11:00 | ✕ | 8.5% | 2.4m/s | 50% |
| 12:00 | ✕ | 22% | 3.2m/s | 26% |
| 13:00 | ✕ | 31% | 4.4m/s | 13% |
| 14:00 | ✕ | 29% | 4.8m/s | 0% |
| 15:00 | ✕ | 31% | 4.7m/s | 0% |
| 16:00 | ✕ | 31% | 4.7m/s | 0% |
| 17:00 | ✕ | 31% | 4.7m/s | 0% |
| 18:00 | ✕ | 47% | 4.2m/s | 0% |
| 19:00 | ✕ | 71% | 3.3m/s | 0% |
| 20:00 | ✕ | 58% | 2.8m/s | 0% |
| 21:00 | ✕ | 15% | 2.2m/s | 0% |
| 22:00 | ✕ | 12% | 2.2m/s | 0% |
| 23:00 | ✕ | 34% | 1.9m/s | 0% |
| Thu, Apr 9 | ||||
| 24:00 | ✕ | 30% | 1.4m/s | 13% |
| 01:00 | ✕ | 28% | 0.57m/s | 26% |
| 02:00 | ✕ | 22% | 0.37m/s | 39% |
| 03:00 | ✕ | 12% | 0.64m/s | 56% |
| 04:00 | ✕ | 9.3% | 0.89m/s | 74% |
| 05:00 | ✕ | 6.7% | 1.1m/s | 91% |
| 06:00 | ✓ | 14% | 1.3m/s | 93% |
| 07:00 | ✓ | 27% | 1.4m/s | 95% |
| 08:00 | ✕ | 10% | 1.7m/s | 98% |
| 09:00 | ✕ | 12% | 1.7m/s | 98% |
| 10:00 | ✕ | 20% | 1.9m/s | 99% |
| 11:00 | ✕ | 18% | 2.2m/s | 99% |
| 12:00 | ✕ | 23% | 2.6m/s | 87% |
| 13:00 | ✕ | 12% | 3.7m/s | 76% |
| 14:00 | ✕ | 16% | 3.9m/s | 64% |
| 15:00 | ✕ | 19% | 3m/s | 65% |
| 16:00 | ✕ | 31% | 2.9m/s | 67% |
| 17:00 | ✕ | 20% | 3m/s | 69% |
| 18:00 | ✕ | 21% | 2.9m/s | 59% |
| 19:00 | ✕ | 44% | 2.3m/s | 49% |
| 20:00 | ✕ | 32% | 1.7m/s | 39% |
| 21:00 | ✕ | 11% | 1.3m/s | 49% |
| 22:00 | ✕ | 10% | 0.54m/s | 59% |
| 23:00 | ✕ | 29% | 0.9m/s | 68% |
| Fri, Apr 10 | ||||
| 24:00 | ✕ | 13% | 1.6m/s | 76% |
| 01:00 | ✕ | 11% | 1.8m/s | 83% |
| 02:00 | ✕ | 11% | 1.8m/s | 90% |
| 03:00 | ✕ | 9% | 2.2m/s | 93% |
| 04:00 | ✕ | 18% | 2.4m/s | 96% |
| 05:00 | ✕ | 16% | 2.5m/s | 99% |
| 06:00 | ✓ | 35% | 2.3m/s | 99% |
| 07:00 | ✓ | 53% | 2.5m/s | 99% |
| 08:00 | ✕ | 44% | 2.3m/s | 98% |
| 09:00 | ✕ | 32% | 2.5m/s | 99% |
| 10:00 | ✕ | 30% | 3.9m/s | 99% |
| 11:00 | ✕ | 36% | 4.1m/s | 100% |
| 12:00 | ✕ | 13% | 3.5m/s | 94% |
| 13:00 | ✕ | 29% | 3.9m/s | 89% |
| 14:00 | ✕ | 11% | 4.1m/s | 83% |
| 15:00 | ✕ | 39% | 3.9m/s | 87% |
| 16:00 | ✕ | 9.3% | 3.6m/s | 90% |
| 17:00 | ✕ | 28% | 3.5m/s | 94% |
| 18:00 | ✕ | 17% | 3.2m/s | 90% |
| 19:00 | ✕ | 21% | 2.8m/s | 87% |
| 20:00 | ✕ | 20% | 2.9m/s | 83% |
| 21:00 | ✕ | 9.3% | 3m/s | 88% |
| 22:00 | ✕ | 9.4% | 2.8m/s | 94% |
| 23:00 | ✕ | 10% | 2.7m/s | 99% |
| Sat, Apr 11 | ||||
| 24:00 | ✕ | 40% | 2.3m/s | 94% |
| 01:00 | ✕ | 31% | 2m/s | 90% |
| 02:00 | ✕ | 18% | 1.6m/s | 85% |
| 03:00 | ✕ | 17% | 2.9m/s | 90% |
| 04:00 | ✕ | 16% | 4.1m/s | 94% |
| 05:00 | ✕ | 16% | 5.4m/s | 99% |
| 06:00 | ✓ | 35% | 5.8m/s | 97% |
| 07:00 | ✓ | 35% | 6.1m/s | 94% |
| 08:00 | ✕ | 24% | 6.5m/s | 92% |
| 09:00 | ✕ | 23% | 6m/s | 95% |
| 10:00 | ✕ | 37% | 5.5m/s | 97% |
| 11:00 | ✕ | 31% | 4.9m/s | 100% |
| 12:00 | ✕ | 38% | 5.4m/s | 93% |
| 13:00 | ✕ | 24% | 5.9m/s | 87% |
| 14:00 | ✕ | 17% | 6.3m/s | 81% |
| 15:00 | ✕ | 18% | 4.8m/s | 84% |
| 16:00 | ✕ | 18% | 3.2m/s | 88% |
What does Golden Clouds Potential mean?
Inputs that drive the scoreThis derived score summarizes multiple raw weather signals. The table below shows the supporting inputs hour by hour, so you can see what's pushing the score up or down.
| Time America/Los_Angeles | Golden Hour | High Clouds % | Low Clouds % | Mid-Level Clouds % | Total Cloud Coverage % | Visibility m |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed, Apr 8
Sunrise 06:45
Sunset 19:41 | ||||||
| 18:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 41% | 0% | 41% | 10588m |
| 19:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 38% | 0% | 38% | 24135m |
| 20:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 21% | 0% | 21% | 24135m |
| 21:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 14% | 0% | 14% | 24135m |
| 22:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 9% | 0% | 9% | 24134m |
| 23:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 30% | 0% | 30% | 24134m |
| Thu, Apr 9
Sunrise 06:45
Sunset 19:41 | ||||||
| 24:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 54% | 0% | 54% | 10120m |
| 01:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 59% | 0% | 59% | 10669m |
| 02:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 68% | 0% | 68% | 16020m |
| 03:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 80% | 0% | 80% | 1719m |
| 04:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 86% | 0% | 86% | 1131m |
| 05:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 91% | 0% | 91% | 4850m |
| 06:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 92% | 0% | 92% | 906m |
| 07:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 87% | 0% | 87% | 24067m |
| 08:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 90% | 11% | 90% | 5139m |
| 09:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 82% | 15% | 82% | 4490m |
| 10:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 88% | 41% | 88% | 21227m |
| 11:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 78% | 0% | 78% | 24135m |
| 12:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 68% | 0% | 68% | 24135m |
| 13:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 87% | 4% | 87% | 18295m |
| 14:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 92% | 55% | 92% | 10044m |
| 15:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 75% | 13% | 75% | 24135m |
| 16:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 33% | 0% | 33% | 24134m |
| 17:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 19% | 0% | 19% | 10023m |
| 18:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 14% | 0% | 14% | 10364m |
| 19:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 16% | 0% | 16% | 11283m |
| 20:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 14% | 0% | 14% | 24053m |
| 21:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 8% | 0% | 8% | 24046m |
| 22:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 6% | 0% | 6% | 24134m |
| 23:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 24% | 0% | 24% | 24135m |
| Fri, Apr 10
Sunrise 06:43
Sunset 19:42 | ||||||
| 24:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 11% | 0% | 11% | 24134m |
| 01:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 8% | 0% | 8% | 24134m |
| 02:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 88% | 0% | 88% | 17474m |
| 03:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 94% | 0% | 94% | 18185m |
| 04:00 ☾ | - | 2% | 96% | 37% | 96% | 20676m |
| 05:00 ☾ | - | 5% | 100% | 25% | 100% | 11885m |
| 06:00 ☾ | - | 5% | 99% | 32% | 99% | 13917m |
| 07:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 69% | 39% | 75% | 8108m |
| 08:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 53% | 5% | 53% | 7116m |
| 09:00 ☾ | - | 2% | 38% | 3% | 38% | 24134m |
| 10:00 ☾ | - | 5% | 41% | 2% | 41% | 9863m |
| 11:00 ☾ | - | 20% | 26% | 5% | 35% | 24075m |
| 12:00 ☾ | - | 5% | 10% | 5% | 10% | 24097m |
| 13:00 ☾ | - | 77% | 5% | 62% | 77% | 17569m |
| 14:00 ☾ | - | 8% | 5% | 5% | 8% | 24135m |
| 15:00 ☾ | - | 34% | 5% | 18% | 34% | 24134m |
| 16:00 ☾ | - | 4% | 5% | 4% | 5% | 24135m |
| 17:00 ☾ | - | 73% | 5% | 81% | 81% | 24134m |
| 18:00 ☾ | - | 8% | 5% | 5% | 8% | 24134m |
| 19:00 ☾ | - | 2% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 24134m |
| 20:00 ☾ | - | 5% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 20943m |
| 21:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 24092m |
| 22:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 23039m |
| 23:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 6% | 5% | 6% | 23167m |
| Sat, Apr 11
Sunrise 06:42
Sunset 19:43 | ||||||
| 24:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 38% | 37% | 38% | 22513m |
| 01:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 69% | 68% | 69% | 21860m |
| 02:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 21206m |
| 03:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 94% | 100% | 100% | 17608m |
| 04:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 88% | 100% | 100% | 14010m |
| 05:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 83% | 100% | 100% | 10412m |
| 06:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 88% | 100% | 100% | 10713m |
| 07:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 94% | 100% | 100% | 11014m |
| 08:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 11315m |
| 09:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 79% | 67% | 79% | 13030m |
| 10:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 58% | 33% | 58% | 14745m |
| 11:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 36% | 0% | 36% | 16459m |
| 12:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 58% | 19% | 58% | 17537m |
| 13:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 79% | 37% | 79% | 18614m |
| 14:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 100% | 56% | 100% | 19691m |
| 15:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 71% | 71% | 100% | 21173m |
| 16:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 42% | 85% | 100% | 22654m |
| 17:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 14% | 100% | 100% | 24135m |
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