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Rule Golden Hour

Valemount - Golden Hour - Canadian Rockies

Valemount, British Columbia, Canada

That magical warm light just after sunrise or before sunset

No opportunities right now
Here’s what usually blocks matches

No Golden Hour opportunities in the next 14 days

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Rule requirements (key thresholds)
Golden Hour · Any Golden Hour Potential · ≥ 80.0% Precipitation Chance · ≤ 5.0% Visibility · ≥ 1000.0m

Tip: Scroll down to the 72-hour table to see exactly which condition fails hour by hour.

Most common blockers (next 72 hours)
Golden Hour Potential 97% failing
Golden Hour 92% failing
Precipitation Chance 90% failing

Currently

Real-time conditions
Low Cloud Cover48%
Mid Cloud Cover5%
High Cloud Cover3%
Sun Elevation25.4° (Daylight)

Upcoming Opportunities

When all conditions match, PhotoWeather marks an opportunity window.

Times shown in America/Vancouver

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 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
0matching hours in the next 95 hours
AND logic: all conditions required
Meets requirement
Misses requirement
Time
America/Vancouver
Golden Hour
Any
Golden Hour Potential
≥ 80.0%
Precipitation Chance
≤ 5.0%
Visibility
≥ 1000.0m
Sat, Feb 21
11:008.8%0%13804m
12:009.9%0%13748m
13:0011%0%18928m
14:009%13%14872m
15:0010%26%24135m
16:0010%39%24135m
17:0050%1.1%23215m
18:0045%2.3%12968m
19:007.1%3.4%6009m
20:004.3%2.3%912m
21:004%1.1%452m
22:004%0%390m
23:007%27%5953m
Sun, Feb 22
24:008%15%10075m
01:006%3.4%2060m
02:005.8%2.3%1426m
03:005.2%1.1%1514m
04:006.2%0%3140m
05:008.9%0%3491m
06:0041%0%4486m
07:0046%0%6693m
08:0028%21%15165m
09:0013%43%22052m
10:0015%64%24135m
11:0017%66%24134m
12:0018%68%24134m
13:0010%71%24135m
14:009.4%80%22076m
15:007.6%90%8430m
16:008.4%100%22157m
17:0051%85%10801m
18:0055%71%19373m
19:008.8%56%21495m
20:003.6%64%411m
21:008.2%71%5464m
22:006.7%79%418m
23:004.6%79%404m
Mon, Feb 23
24:006.8%79%3032m
01:005%79%822m
02:004%79%370m
03:003.6%79%126m
04:005%78%361m
05:005%76%287m
06:0030%74%308m
07:0028%72%433m
08:007.2%75%1318m
09:0012%79%12614m
10:0011%82%13922m
11:009.8%63%10398m
12:009.2%43%9154m
13:0013%24%18589m
14:0010%24%9519m
15:0010%24%24134m
16:0011%24%7986m
17:0064%16%15274m
18:0066%7.8%13195m
19:009.6%0%12463m
20:008.8%13%2311m
21:007.4%26%3059m
22:006.8%39%1047m
23:005.6%26%799m
Tue, Feb 24
24:007.4%13%2103m
01:007.8%0%3054m
02:008.6%0%6605m
03:009.6%0%12468m
04:009.6%0%10322m
05:0011%3.3%10867m
06:0089%6.7%13335m
07:0092%10%13657m
08:0017%20%15989m
09:0018%29%18404m
10:0018%39%21239m
11:0018%26%24134m
12:0018%13%24134m
13:0018%0%24134m
14:0018%7.4%24134m
15:0018%15%24134m
16:0015%22%24135m
17:0070%33%20130m
18:0058%45%16125m
19:007.6%56%12121m
20:007%65%9132m
21:006.6%74%6143m
22:005.8%83%3153m
23:005.4%84%2625m
Wed, Feb 25
24:005.4%85%2096m
01:005.2%86%1567m
02:005.8%90%2763m
03:006.5%93%3959m
04:007.1%97%5156m
05:007.3%97%5069m
06:0040%98%4982m
07:0041%98%4896m
08:007.9%98%9696m
09:008.3%99%14496m
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/Vancouver
Golden Hour
High Clouds
%
Low Clouds
%
Mid-Level Clouds
%
Relative Humidity
%
Total Cloud Coverage
%
Wind Speed
m/s
Sun, Feb 22 Sunrise 06:59 Sunset 17:20
11:00
- 3% 48% 5% 73% 48% 1.2m/s
12:00
- 22% 27% 5% 70% 38% 1.7m/s
13:00
- 100% 37% 42% 68% 100% 1.9m/s
14:00
- 19% 99% 99% 68% 99% 2.6m/s
15:00
- 100% 85% 100% 81% 100% 2.4m/s
16:00
- 93% 63% 100% 86% 100% 2m/s
17:00
- 0% 76% 50% 94% 76% 1.7m/s
18:00
- 0% 59% 67% 95% 72% 1.9m/s
19:00
- 30% 45% 100% 95% 100% 1.4m/s
20:00
- 93% 99% 100% 95% 100% 2.1m/s
21:00
- 0% 86% 28% 95% 86% 1.8m/s
22:00
- 0% 76% 40% 97% 76% 1.4m/s
23:00
- 0% 75% 100% 96% 100% 1.8m/s
Mon, Feb 23 Sunrise 06:56 Sunset 17:22
24:00
- 0% 77% 100% 96% 100% 1.4m/s
01:00
- 0% 72% 100% 97% 100% 1.4m/s
02:00
- 0% 90% 100% 97% 100% 1.3m/s
03:00
- 0% 100% 100% 96% 100% 1.4m/s
04:00
- 0% 89% 51% 96% 94% 1.1m/s
05:00
- 0% 91% 54% 97% 91% 0.99m/s
06:00
- 0% 100% 64% 96% 100% 1.4m/s
07:00
- 0% 79% 100% 96% 100% 1.4m/s
08:00
- 0% 87% 14% 95% 87% 1m/s
09:00
- 0% 57% 41% 87% 62% 0.56m/s
10:00
- 0% 75% 44% 82% 77% 1.9m/s
11:00
- 2% 85% 55% 76% 86% 1.4m/s
12:00
- 0% 76% 90% 70% 90% 2.1m/s
13:00
- 0% 59% 50% 65% 64% 1.8m/s
14:00
- 0% 66% 75% 66% 76% 2.4m/s
15:00
- 0% 33% 91% 69% 91% 2m/s
16:00
- 0% 54% 48% 82% 61% 1.7m/s
17:00
- 0% 69% 31% 94% 69% 1.3m/s
18:00
- 0% 73% 7% 95% 73% 1.1m/s
19:00
- 0% 86% 0% 95% 86% 1.2m/s
20:00
- 0% 73% 0% 95% 73% 1.4m/s
21:00
- 0% 88% 0% 95% 88% 1.5m/s
22:00
- 0% 90% 0% 95% 90% 1.6m/s
23:00
- 0% 86% 0% 95% 86% 1.6m/s
Tue, Feb 24 Sunrise 06:54 Sunset 17:24
24:00
- 0% 86% 0% 95% 86% 1.3m/s
01:00
- 0% 87% 0% 95% 87% 1m/s
02:00
- 0% 82% 0% 94% 82% 0.86m/s
03:00
- 0% 82% 0% 94% 82% 0.67m/s
04:00
- 0% 83% 4% 95% 83% 0.57m/s
05:00
- 0% 72% 4% 95% 72% 0.49m/s
06:00
- 0% 50% 4% 96% 50% 0.62m/s
07:00
- 0% 47% 5% 96% 47% 0.66m/s
08:00
- 0% 42% 5% 90% 42% 0.61m/s
09:00
- 0% 25% 5% 82% 25% 1.2m/s
10:00
- 0% 27% 5% 77% 27% 1.6m/s
11:00
- 0% 23% 5% 71% 24% 1.8m/s
12:00
- 0% 17% 5% 66% 17% 1.9m/s
13:00
- 0% 13% 5% 61% 13% 2.2m/s
14:00
- 0% 9% 7% 59% 11% 2.4m/s
15:00
- 0% 13% 15% 58% 19% 2.4m/s
16:00
- 0% 7% 54% 66% 54% 2.2m/s
17:00
- 24% 18% 69% 76% 69% 1.6m/s
18:00
- 49% 29% 84% 85% 84% 0.94m/s
19:00
- 73% 40% 100% 95% 100% 0.31m/s
20:00
- 75% 58% 100% 95% 100% 0.42m/s
21:00
- 76% 76% 100% 94% 100% 0.53m/s
22:00
- 78% 94% 100% 94% 100% 0.64m/s
23:00
- 59% 96% 100% 94% 100% 0.64m/s
Wed, Feb 25 Sunrise 06:52 Sunset 17:26
24:00
- 39% 97% 100% 94% 100% 0.64m/s
01:00
- 19% 99% 100% 93% 100% 0.65m/s
02:00
- 46% 99% 100% 89% 100% 1m/s
03:00
- 73% 99% 100% 85% 100% 1.4m/s
04:00
- 100% 99% 100% 81% 100% 1.7m/s
05:00
- 98% 99% 100% 79% 100% 1.9m/s
06:00
- 96% 100% 100% 76% 100% 2.1m/s
07:00
- 94% 100% 100% 74% 100% 2.3m/s
08:00
- 85% 98% 100% 76% 100% 2.3m/s
09:00
- 75% 97% 100% 78% 100% 2.2m/s
10:00
- 65% 95% 100% 80% 100% 2.2m/s
How to read: these inputs help produce the derived score; they are not requirements by themselves.

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