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Rule Painted Sky

Hilo - Painted Sky - Hawaii

Hilo, Hawaii, United States

Golden hour clouds lit up in orange, pink and gold

No opportunities right now
Here’s what usually blocks matches

No Painted Sky opportunities in the next 14 days

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Rule requirements (key thresholds)
Golden Hour · Any Golden Clouds Potential · ≥ 80.0% Wind Speed · ≤ 6.0m/s Precipitation Chance · ≤ 10.0%

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

Most common blockers (next 72 hours)
Golden Clouds Potential 100% failing
Precipitation Chance 100% failing
Golden Hour 83% failing

Currently

Real-time conditions
Low Cloud Cover52%
Mid Cloud Cover0%
High Cloud Cover0%
Sun Elevation-9.4° (Nautical twilight)

Upcoming Opportunities

When all conditions match, PhotoWeather marks an opportunity window.

Times shown in Pacific/Honolulu

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 tracks the soft, pastel sunset conditions that give Hawaii its famous watercolor skies. We monitor cloud patterns, trade wind flow, and atmospheric moisture to predict when tropical sunsets will produce gentle, painterly color rather than dramatic fire.

Hawaii's painted-sky conditions create the dreamy tropical sunset aesthetic seen in countless beach resort images—soft pinks, lavenders, and peaches rather than intense oranges and reds. These conditions occur when trade wind clouds scatter light gently, and when volcanic haze is minimal.

What makes Hawaii special for painted-sky photography:

  • Trade wind clouds - Gentle cumulus creates soft, diffused sunset color
  • Soft watercolor tones - Pinks, lavenders, and peaches instead of intense reds
  • Waikiki classic - The iconic Hawaiian beach sunset with palms and soft color
  • Gentle tropical beauty - Less dramatic but more romantic than fire-sky conditions

Waikiki Beach offers Hawaii's classic painted-sky experience—palms silhouetted against soft pastel sunset colors, with Diamond Head providing a volcanic backdrop. This softer sunset style occurs when trade winds flow gently, creating scattered cloud cover that diffuses light into pastels rather than concentrating it into intense colors. Oahu's windward coast, particularly at sunrise, offers similar painted conditions. The North Shore's famous beaches like Sunset Beach and Waimea Bay become surprisingly gentle during painted-sky evenings. Maui's Wailea and Kauai's Hanalei Bay offer world-class painted-sky opportunities. These conditions work beautifully for silhouette photography—the soft color gradients create perfect backgrounds for palms, surfers, or volcanic profiles. Unlike fire-sky conditions that demand attention, painted skies create a peaceful, romantic mood. The color show lasts longer than fire-sky events, with gentle pastels persisting through extended twilight.

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72-hour requirements breakdown

What passed or failed, hour by hour
0matching hours in the next 82 hours
AND logic: all conditions required
Meets requirement
Misses requirement
Time
Pacific/Honolulu
Golden Hour
Any
Golden Clouds Potential
≥ 80.0%
Wind Speed
≤ 6.0m/s
Precipitation Chance
≤ 10.0%
Sun, Jun 7
18:0029%3.4m/s98%
19:0031%2.9m/s98%
20:0021%2.5m/s98%
21:0025%2.9m/s100%
22:0023%2.3m/s100%
23:0021%2.5m/s100%
Mon, Jun 8
24:0036%2m/s100%
01:0041%1.9m/s100%
02:0038%2m/s100%
03:0040%2.2m/s100%
04:0039%2.3m/s99%
05:0066%3m/s99%
06:0064%3.4m/s99%
07:0050%3.6m/s98%
08:0031%3.7m/s98%
09:0026%3.6m/s82%
10:0022%3.8m/s67%
11:0021%3.3m/s52%
12:0020%3.2m/s62%
13:0026%3.4m/s72%
14:0025%3.3m/s82%
15:0022%3.7m/s87%
16:0022%3.7m/s93%
17:0023%3.4m/s98%
18:0029%3m/s99%
19:0031%2.7m/s99%
20:0022%2.9m/s100%
21:0025%2.9m/s98%
22:0023%3.2m/s97%
23:0022%2.9m/s95%
Tue, Jun 9
24:0041%1.6m/s96%
01:0030%1.6m/s98%
02:0038%1.3m/s100%
03:0028%1m/s100%
04:0036%0.45m/s99%
05:0038%0.82m/s99%
06:0038%1.6m/s99%
07:0031%2m/s100%
08:0023%2.1m/s100%
09:0029%2.6m/s94%
10:0028%3m/s88%
11:0024%3.1m/s82%
12:0024%3.6m/s87%
13:0024%3.7m/s93%
14:0021%4.1m/s98%
15:0034%3.8m/s96%
16:0036%3.1m/s95%
17:0021%2.7m/s93%
18:0030%2.8m/s95%
19:0038%3.4m/s97%
20:0028%3.1m/s98%
21:0028%2.7m/s96%
22:0028%2m/s93%
23:0029%2.3m/s91%
Wed, Jun 10
24:0028%1.8m/s93%
01:0026%1.4m/s95%
02:0029%0.85m/s97%
03:0026%0.56m/s97%
04:0026%0.74m/s98%
05:0038%0.79m/s98%
06:0041%0.41m/s98%
07:0036%0.69m/s98%
08:0037%1.3m/s99%
09:0028%2m/s93%
10:0028%2.5m/s88%
11:0029%3.1m/s82%
12:0028%3.7m/s85%
13:0022%3.6m/s88%
14:0025%3.3m/s91%
15:0022%3m/s88%
16:0037%2.6m/s85%
17:0033%2.3m/s82%
18:0070%2.2m/s83%
19:0072%2.2m/s84%
20:0030%2.2m/s84%
21:0030%2.2m/s75%
22:0032%2.2m/s66%
23:0032%2.1m/s56%
Thu, Jun 11
24:0033%2.4m/s59%
01:0033%2.6m/s62%
02:0033%2.8m/s65%
03:0034%3.5m/s51%
How to read: colored cells show whether each predicate requirement is met; highlighted rows mean the full rule matched (an opportunity).

What does Golden Clouds 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
Pacific/Honolulu
Golden Hour
High Clouds
%
Low Clouds
%
Mid-Level Clouds
%
Total Cloud Coverage
%
Visibility
m
Mon, Jun 8 Sunrise 05:40 Sunset 18:58
05:00
- 0% 52% 0% 52% 17772m
06:00
- 0% 50% 0% 50% 6881m
07:00
- 0% 29% 0% 29% 6212m
08:00
- 0% 18% 0% 18% 8155m
09:00
- 3% 12% 0% 12% 7944m
10:00
- 4% 6% 0% 8% 23063m
11:00
- 0% 7% 0% 7% 24135m
12:00
- 0% 5% 0% 5% 19987m
13:00
- 0% 3% 0% 3% 24135m
14:00
- 0% 0% 0% 0% 24135m
15:00
- 0% 2% 0% 2% 24135m
16:00
- 0% 1% 0% 1% 24135m
17:00
- 0% 1% 0% 1% 24135m
18:00
- 0% 3% 0% 3% 24134m
19:00
- 5% 0% 0% 5% 20446m
20:00
- 0% 0% 0% 0% 17736m
21:00
- 0% 14% 0% 14% 10669m
22:00
- 0% 5% 0% 5% 18573m
23:00
- 0% 4% 0% 4% 17877m
Tue, Jun 9 Sunrise 05:41 Sunset 18:58
24:00
- 4% 45% 0% 45% 18999m
01:00
- 0% 69% 0% 69% 9559m
02:00
- 8% 21% 0% 25% 18376m
03:00
- 100% 16% 0% 100% 19433m
04:00
- 65% 15% 0% 68% 23680m
05:00
- 100% 28% 0% 100% 23598m
06:00
- 100% 50% 0% 100% 18482m
07:00
- 93% 57% 0% 95% 18715m
08:00
- 100% 14% 0% 100% 21104m
09:00
- 100% 54% 0% 100% 20629m
10:00
- 100% 54% 0% 100% 15654m
11:00
- 100% 33% 0% 100% 17245m
12:00
- 100% 31% 0% 100% 21246m
13:00
- 100% 7% 0% 100% 22966m
14:00
- 100% 2% 0% 100% 22518m
15:00
- 64% 4% 0% 64% 24134m
16:00
- 34% 2% 0% 34% 24134m
17:00
- 100% 0% 0% 100% 24134m
18:00
- 100% 4% 0% 100% 22552m
19:00
- 100% 27% 0% 100% 13127m
20:00
- 100% 63% 0% 100% 16206m
21:00
- 100% 57% 0% 100% 16216m
22:00
- 100% 79% 0% 100% 18533m
23:00
- 99% 65% 0% 99% 20512m
Wed, Jun 10 Sunrise 05:41 Sunset 18:58
24:00
- 90% 76% 0% 90% 16129m
01:00
- 10% 88% 0% 88% 17794m
02:00
- 100% 44% 0% 100% 20610m
03:00
- 98% 54% 0% 100% 18282m
04:00
- 100% 38% 0% 100% 20015m
05:00
- 100% 54% 0% 100% 18112m
06:00
- 100% 55% 0% 100% 21172m
07:00
- 4% 77% 0% 77% 17399m
08:00
- 8% 56% 0% 56% 17878m
09:00
- 100% 88% 0% 100% 16441m
10:00
- 100% 79% 0% 100% 19098m
11:00
- 100% 75% 0% 100% 23579m
12:00
- 100% 70% 0% 100% 18909m
13:00
- 100% 79% 0% 100% 16490m
14:00
- 100% 45% 0% 100% 16972m
15:00
- 68% 39% 0% 76% 19325m
16:00
- 37% 34% 0% 52% 21678m
17:00
- 5% 28% 0% 28% 24031m
18:00
- 5% 38% 0% 38% 21320m
19:00
- 5% 47% 0% 47% 18608m
20:00
- 5% 56% 0% 56% 15897m
21:00
- 7% 55% 0% 55% 18441m
22:00
- 8% 54% 0% 54% 20986m
23:00
- 10% 52% 0% 52% 23530m
Thu, Jun 11 Sunrise 05:41 Sunset 18:59
24:00
- 6% 51% 0% 51% 23578m
01:00
- 3% 49% 0% 49% 23625m
02:00
- 0% 47% 0% 47% 23673m
03:00
- 0% 45% 0% 45% 23827m
04:00
- 0% 42% 0% 42% 23981m
How to read: these inputs help produce the derived score; they are not requirements by themselves.

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