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Rule Golden Hour

Cochrane - Golden Hour - Canadian Rockies

Cochrane, Alberta, Canada

That magical warm light just after sunrise or before sunset

Currently

Real-time conditions
Low Cloud Cover0%
Mid Cloud Cover6%
High Cloud Cover100%
Sun Elevation-27.0° (Astronomical night)

Upcoming Opportunities

When all conditions match, PhotoWeather marks an opportunity window.

Times shown in America/Edmonton
golden-hour weather icon
Next opportunity
Exceptional Golden Hour (calm) at Sunrise
Cochrane
Today · 07:00–07:16 · 1h window
High confidence
79%
🌇Golden Hour Potential97%
Low Cloud Cover: 0%
Mid Cloud Cover: 0%
High Cloud Cover: 36%
Sun Elevation: 3.6° (Golden hour)
golden-hour weather icon
Exceptional Golden Hour at Sunset
Cochrane
Today · 19:58–20:00
🌇Golden Hour Potential:98.5%
High
golden-hour weather icon
Exceptional Golden Hour (calm) at Sunrise
Cochrane
Tomorrow · 06:07–07:00
🌇Golden Hour Potential:93.5%
High

What this forecast looks for

Plain-language explanation from the rule

This forecast predicts when the continental divide peaks will catch alpenglow—that magical pink and orange light that makes the Rockies one of the world's premier golden hour destinations. We track clear sky conditions, sun angle, and atmospheric clarity to identify perfect alpenglow windows.

The Canadian Rockies run along the continental divide, with massive peaks rising directly from valley floors. This dramatic topography means the first and last light hits mountains while valleys remain in shadow, creating spectacular contrasts. The high latitude also means golden hour lasts longer than in equatorial regions.

What makes Rockies golden hour exceptional:

  • Continental divide peaks - Massive mountains catch first and last light while valleys remain cool-toned
  • Vermillion Lakes - Classic location where Mount Rundle catches alpenglow with wetland reflections in foreground
  • Castle Mountain - Distinctive layered peak that glows dramatically at sunset
  • Extended duration - Northern latitude means golden hour light lasts 30-60 minutes longer than southern locations

Best photography occurs at classic locations like Vermillion Lakes for sunrise on Mount Rundle, or Two Jack Lake for sunset on Mount Rundle from the east. Summer solstice brings challenges with very early sunrise times (5am), while autumn offers more reasonable timing with fall colors as bonus.

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72-hour requirements breakdown

What passed or failed, hour by hour
3matching hours in the next 75 hoursJump to next match
AND logic: all conditions required
Meets requirement
Misses requirement
Time
America/Edmonton
Golden Hour
Any
Golden Hour Potential
≥ 80.0%
Precipitation Chance
≤ 5.0%
Visibility
≥ 1000.0m
Sun, Apr 19
22:0030%0%24135m
23:0029%0%24135m
Mon, Apr 20
24:0039%0%24134m
01:0035%0%24135m
02:0035%0%24134m
03:0036%0%24135m
04:0039%0%24135m
05:0034%0%24134m
06:0074%0%24135m
07:0097%0%24134m
08:0039%0%24135m
09:0038%0%24134m
10:0038%0%24134m
11:0041%0%24135m
12:0041%0%24134m
13:0040%0%24135m
14:0040%0%24134m
15:0039%0%24135m
16:0036%0%24135m
17:0037%0%24134m
18:0040%0%24134m
19:0099%0%24135m
20:0074%0%24134m
21:0069%0%24135m
22:0035%0%24135m
23:0032%0%24134m
Tue, Apr 21
24:0033%0%24134m
01:0032%0%24135m
02:0032%0%24134m
03:0034%0%24135m
04:0037%0%24134m
05:0036%0%24134m
06:0094%0%24134m
07:0074%10%24134m
08:0036%21%24135m
09:0037%31%24134m
10:0038%36%24134m
11:0032%40%24134m
12:0029%44%24134m
13:0027%39%24134m
14:0026%35%24135m
15:0025%30%24135m
16:0029%37%24119m
17:0033%44%24106m
18:0034%51%24135m
19:0073%49%24135m
20:0066%47%10690m
21:0061%44%24134m
22:0030%50%8345m
23:0030%56%11312m
Wed, Apr 22
24:0026%62%11830m
01:0023%55%15179m
02:0019%49%24126m
03:0016%42%1687m
04:0017%52%5784m
05:0018%62%20112m
06:0043%72%24124m
07:0042%76%23540m
08:007.3%80%22957m
09:007.5%84%22373m
10:006.6%87%14944m
11:005%91%7514m
12:001.8%95%85m
13:001.8%96%371m
14:001.8%96%657m
15:001.8%97%943m
16:002.6%97%1487m
17:003.2%98%2031m
18:003.3%98%2574m
19:005.2%81%9761m
20:0038%63%16948m
21:0041%46%24135m
22:007.2%50%24135m
23:007.2%54%24135m
Thu, Apr 23
24:007.1%57%24135m
How to read: colored cells show whether each predicate requirement is met; highlighted rows mean the full rule matched (an opportunity).

What does Golden Hour Potential mean?

Inputs that drive the score

This 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/Edmonton
Golden Hour
High Clouds
%
Low Clouds
%
Mid-Level Clouds
%
Relative Humidity
%
Total Cloud Coverage
%
Wind Speed
m/s
Mon, Apr 20 Sunrise 06:32 Sunset 20:42
02:00
- 100% 0% 6% 78% 100% 2.2m/s
03:00
- 93% 0% 5% 80% 93% 1.7m/s
04:00
- 11% 0% 5% 83% 11% 1.4m/s
05:00
- 96% 0% 0% 84% 96% 1.5m/s
06:00
- 86% 0% 0% 85% 86% 1.1m/s
07:00
- 36% 0% 0% 85% 36% 1m/s
08:00
- 14% 0% 0% 82% 14% 1.5m/s
09:00
- 5% 0% 0% 78% 5% 3.2m/s
10:00
- 6% 0% 0% 72% 6% 4.8m/s
11:00
- 30% 0% 0% 65% 30% 5.5m/s
12:00
- 14% 0% 0% 59% 14% 5.2m/s
13:00
- 6% 0% 0% 55% 6% 4.4m/s
14:00
- 5% 0% 0% 52% 5% 3.8m/s
15:00
- 24% 0% 0% 48% 24% 2.9m/s
16:00
- 5% 5% 0% 38% 5% 2.8m/s
17:00
- 2% 5% 3% 36% 5% 4.3m/s
18:00
- 3% 2% 3% 41% 3% 4.1m/s
19:00
- 5% 0% 3% 49% 5% 3.3m/s
20:00
- 88% 0% 41% 56% 88% 2.6m/s
21:00
- 100% 0% 100% 58% 100% 2.1m/s
22:00
- 100% 0% 100% 61% 100% 2.3m/s
23:00
- 100% 0% 100% 69% 100% 2.8m/s
Tue, Apr 21 Sunrise 06:30 Sunset 20:44
24:00
- 100% 0% 82% 74% 100% 2.8m/s
01:00
- 59% 0% 79% 73% 79% 2.8m/s
02:00
- 100% 0% 100% 72% 100% 3.1m/s
03:00
- 100% 0% 100% 69% 100% 2.7m/s
04:00
- 100% 0% 100% 70% 100% 2m/s
05:00
- 8% 0% 88% 71% 88% 1.5m/s
06:00
- 6% 0% 52% 74% 52% 1.7m/s
07:00
- 6% 0% 99% 78% 99% 2.6m/s
08:00
- 11% 0% 98% 80% 98% 2.4m/s
09:00
- 5% 5% 96% 78% 96% 2.8m/s
10:00
- 5% 5% 5% 72% 5% 2.8m/s
11:00
- 0% 45% 5% 65% 45% 3.1m/s
12:00
- 5% 70% 2% 62% 70% 3.3m/s
13:00
- 2% 80% 0% 59% 80% 3.5m/s
14:00
- 5% 82% 5% 55% 82% 4.1m/s
15:00
- 0% 95% 5% 54% 95% 5.1m/s
16:00
- 5% 90% 5% 57% 90% 5.7m/s
17:00
- 5% 71% 5% 54% 71% 6.2m/s
18:00
- 93% 5% 5% 57% 93% 6.5m/s
19:00
- 100% 5% 5% 60% 100% 6.5m/s
20:00
- 100% 5% 9% 67% 100% 5.7m/s
21:00
- 100% 0% 98% 74% 100% 4.3m/s
22:00
- 100% 0% 98% 77% 100% 2.8m/s
23:00
- 100% 5% 100% 86% 100% 1.4m/s
Wed, Apr 22 Sunrise 06:28 Sunset 20:45
24:00
- 100% 3% 100% 92% 100% 2m/s
01:00
- 100% 6% 100% 95% 100% 2.4m/s
02:00
- 100% 39% 100% 96% 100% 3.4m/s
03:00
- 100% 99% 100% 98% 100% 4.3m/s
04:00
- 100% 100% 100% 96% 100% 5.4m/s
05:00
- 100% 100% 100% 94% 100% 6m/s
06:00
- 100% 100% 21% 94% 100% 5.3m/s
07:00
- 100% 100% 47% 90% 100% 5.7m/s
08:00
- 100% 100% 74% 86% 100% 6.1m/s
09:00
- 100% 100% 100% 82% 100% 6.5m/s
10:00
- 100% 100% 100% 86% 100% 6.7m/s
11:00
- 100% 100% 100% 91% 100% 6.9m/s
12:00
- 100% 100% 100% 96% 100% 7.1m/s
13:00
- 100% 100% 100% 95% 100% 7.4m/s
14:00
- 100% 100% 100% 94% 100% 7.7m/s
15:00
- 100% 100% 100% 92% 100% 8m/s
16:00
- 74% 100% 100% 91% 100% 8.4m/s
17:00
- 47% 100% 100% 90% 100% 8.8m/s
18:00
- 21% 100% 100% 88% 100% 9.2m/s
19:00
- 28% 99% 98% 84% 99% 9.1m/s
20:00
- 35% 98% 97% 80% 99% 9m/s
21:00
- 41% 98% 95% 76% 98% 8.9m/s
22:00
- 60% 85% 96% 77% 98% 8.3m/s
23:00
- 78% 72% 97% 77% 99% 7.7m/s
Thu, Apr 23 Sunrise 06:26 Sunset 20:47
24:00
- 96% 59% 99% 78% 100% 7.1m/s
01:00
- 67% 41% 67% 76% 69% 7.3m/s
How to read: these inputs help produce the derived score; they are not requirements by themselves.

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