How often do conditions match?

No opportunity windows are predicted in the next 10 days. Conditions can change quickly, so check back for updates.

More Fire Sky in Hawaii

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Rule Fire Sky

Waimea Canyon - Fire Sky - Hawaii

Q: What conditions does Fire Sky look for?

Golden Hour: Any. Fiery Red Sky Potential: ≥ 65.0%. Precipitation Chance: ≤ 15.0%. Visibility: ≥ 8000.0m

Lihue, Hawaii, United States

Those rare, intensely red and orange sunset skies

No opportunities right now

Here’s what usually blocks matches

No Fire Sky opportunities in the next 14 days

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Rule requirements (key thresholds)

Golden Hour · Any Fiery Red Sky Potential · ≥ 65.0% Precipitation Chance · ≤ 15.0% Visibility · ≥ 8000.0m

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

Most common blockers (next 72 hours)

Fiery Red Sky Potential 100% failing

Precipitation Chance 100% failing

Golden Hour 83% failing

Currently

Real-time conditions

Fiery Red Sky Potential

Low Cloud Cover22%

Mid Cloud Cover0%

High Cloud Cover0%

Aerosol Optical Depth0.1

Sun Elevation-24.5° (Astronomical night)

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 spectacular sunset conditions that transform Hawaii's tropical skies into blazing displays. We combine cloud coverage patterns, volcanic haze levels, and atmospheric clarity to predict when Hawaiian sunsets will ignite with dramatic color.

Hawaii offers some of the Pacific's most dramatic fire-sky conditions, particularly when volcanic haze (vog) from Kilauea adds atmospheric particulates that scatter light into intense oranges and reds. The tropical location means the sun sets quickly at a steep angle, creating brief but intense color displays.

What makes Hawaii special for fire-sky photography:

Volcanic haze advantage - Vog from Kilauea volcano scatters light into intense sunset colors
Maui and Big Island drama - Leeward coasts receive the most dramatic vog-enhanced sunsets
Tropical intensity - Quick sunset at steep angle creates brief but fierce color
Ocean reflections - Calm leeward waters mirror fire skies perfectly

The Big Island's Kona coast offers Hawaii's most reliable fire-sky conditions, particularly when vog from Kilauea volcano drifts southwest. The volcanic particulates scatter light dramatically, creating sunsets of unusual intensity. Maui's western coast benefits from similar conditions when vog crosses the channel. The steep volcanic slopes provide dramatic foreground silhouettes—palm trees and volcanic peaks profiled against blazing skies. During periods of volcanic activity, vog levels increase and sunset colors become even more intense. The leeward (western/southern) coasts of islands offer the calmest water for reflections. Trade winds typically die down at sunset, creating mirror-like ocean surfaces that double the impact. Tropical sunsets happen quickly—the entire show from first color to darkness takes about 30 minutes, with peak color lasting only 5-10 minutes. Scout locations beforehand and be ready before the sun touches the horizon.

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72-hour requirements breakdown

What passed or failed, hour by hour

0matching hours in the next 80 hours

AND logic: all conditions required

Meets requirement

Misses requirement

Time Pacific/Honolulu	Golden Hour Any	Fiery Red Sky Potential ≥ 65.0%	Precipitation Chance ≤ 15.0%	Visibility ≥ 8000.0m
Tue, Jul 7
18:00	✓	22%	100%	24135m
19:00	✓	17%	100%	24134m
20:00	✕	15%	100%	24135m
21:00	✕	22%	94%	23871m
22:00	✕	21%	88%	19712m
23:00	✕	20%	82%	20172m
Wed, Jul 8
24:00	✕	30%	88%	24090m
01:00	✕	17%	94%	11002m
02:00	✕	20%	100%	9591m
03:00	✕	9.1%	99%	20017m
04:00	✕	17%	98%	24135m
05:00	✓	13%	98%	24135m
06:00	✓	23%	98%	23813m
07:00	✕	16%	99%	22682m
08:00	✕	9.9%	100%	23031m
09:00	✕	8%	99%	19915m
10:00	✕	9.8%	98%	20172m
11:00	✕	7.3%	98%	18971m
12:00	✕	15%	98%	24134m
13:00	✕	16%	99%	9315m
14:00	✕	8.8%	100%	19705m
15:00	✕	4.5%	100%	19768m
16:00	✕	9.6%	100%	19186m
17:00	✕	14%	100%	9957m
18:00	✓	11%	100%	24134m
19:00	✓	20%	100%	24134m
20:00	✕	22%	100%	23252m
21:00	✕	16%	100%	20612m
22:00	✕	17%	100%	24134m
23:00	✕	18%	100%	10265m
Thu, Jul 9
24:00	✕	19%	100%	19874m
01:00	✕	21%	100%	19153m
02:00	✕	28%	100%	10753m
03:00	✕	5%	99%	19348m
04:00	✕	16%	99%	19642m
05:00	✓	32%	98%	19710m
06:00	✓	28%	98%	19767m
07:00	✕	20%	99%	19700m
08:00	✕	17%	100%	9962m
09:00	✕	21%	98%	10805m
10:00	✕	30%	96%	10021m
11:00	✕	23%	95%	10768m
12:00	✕	22%	96%	10115m
13:00	✕	17%	98%	19715m
14:00	✕	19%	100%	19876m
15:00	✕	17%	99%	19872m
16:00	✕	16%	99%	10573m
17:00	✕	16%	99%	10316m
18:00	✓	15%	99%	19776m
19:00	✓	14%	100%	19679m
20:00	✕	13%	100%	23322m
21:00	✕	12%	100%	23624m
22:00	✕	12%	99%	23852m
23:00	✕	13%	99%	22674m
Fri, Jul 10
24:00	✕	28%	99%	22985m
01:00	✕	30%	100%	23548m
02:00	✕	25%	100%	23130m
03:00	✕	29%	100%	24135m
04:00	✕	30%	99%	18781m
05:00	✓	21%	99%	10515m
06:00	✓	28%	99%	18977m
07:00	✕	25%	99%	13993m
08:00	✕	32%	99%	15411m
09:00	✕	0%	99%	17301m
10:00	✕	0%	99%	19191m
11:00	✕	0%	99%	21081m
12:00	✕	0%	99%	19809m
13:00	✕	0%	99%	18536m
14:00	✕	0%	100%	17263m
15:00	✕	0%	97%	17223m
16:00	✕	0%	95%	17182m
17:00	✕	0%	93%	17141m
18:00	✓	0%	94%	17124m
19:00	✓	0.1%	95%	17107m
20:00	✕	0.1%	97%	17089m
21:00	✕	0%	92%	17266m
22:00	✕	0%	87%	17443m
23:00	✕	0%	83%	17619m
Sat, Jul 11
24:00	✕	0%	83%	19791m
01:00	✕	0%	84%	21963m

How to read: colored cells show whether each predicate requirement is met; highlighted rows mean the full rule matched (an opportunity).

What does Fiery Red Sky 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	Aerosol Optical Depth (550nm)	Clear Sky Probability (Ensemble) %	Cloud Cover Uncertainty (Ensemble) %	Dust AOD (550nm)	Golden Hour	High Clouds %	Low Clouds %	Mid-Level Clouds %	RH @ 700 hPa %	Smoke AOD (550nm)	Solar Elevation °	Sunshine Duration seconds
Wed, Jul 8 Sunrise 06:00 Sunset 19:24
04:00 ☾	0.09	47%	14%	0.002	-	0%	22%	0%	20%	0.006	-25°	0seconds
05:00 ☾	0.09	71%	16%	0.002	-	0%	9%	0%	20%	0.006	-13°	0seconds
06:00 ☾	0.09	64%	16%	0.002	-	0%	6%	0%	20%	0.005	-0.54°	0seconds
07:00	0.09	57%	17%	0.002	-	2%	21%	0%	19%	0.005	12°	0seconds
08:00	0.1	50%	17%	0.002	-	0%	8%	0%	19%	0.005	25°	0seconds
09:00	0.1	35%	18%	0.002	-	0%	7%	0%	19%	0.005	39°	3600seconds
10:00	0.1	21%	18%	0.002	-	0%	8%	0%	19%	0.005	52°	3600seconds
11:00	0.1	6%	19%	0.002	-	0%	33%	0%	20%	0.005	66°	3600seconds
12:00	0.11	5%	17%	0.002	-	0%	18%	0%	21%	0.005	80°	3600seconds
13:00	0.11	3%	15%	0.002	-	0%	23%	0%	22%	0.005	86°	3600seconds
14:00 ☾	0.12	2%	13%	0.002	-	0%	12%	0%	22%	0.005	72°	3600seconds
15:00 ☾	0.12	9%	14%	0.002	-	0%	11%	0%	22%	0.005	58°	3600seconds
16:00 ☾	0.12	16%	15%	0.002	-	0%	21%	0%	21%	0.005	45°	3600seconds
17:00 ☾	0.12	23%	16%	0.002	-	0%	48%	0%	21%	0.005	31°	3600seconds
18:00 ☾	0.12	24%	16%	0.002	-	5%	14%	0%	19%	0.005	18°	3600seconds
19:00 ☾	0.12	26%	16%	0.002	-	0%	17%	0%	17%	0.005	4.6°	3600seconds
20:00 ☾	0.11	27%	16%	0.002	-	0%	30%	0%	14%	0.005	-8.1°	3600seconds
21:00 ☾	0.12	32%	15%	0.002	-	0%	3%	0%	15%	0.005	-20°	0seconds
22:00 ☾	0.14	38%	13%	0.002	-	0%	14%	0%	16%	0.005	-31°	0seconds
23:00 ☾	0.12	43%	12%	0.002	-	0%	10%	0%	17%	0.005	-39°	0seconds
Thu, Jul 9 Sunrise 06:00 Sunset 19:24
24:00 ☾	0.11	37%	12%	0.002	-	0%	29%	0%	19%	0.005	-44°	0seconds
01:00 ☾	0.1	30%	12%	0.002	-	48%	30%	0%	21%	0.005	-45°	0seconds
02:00 ☾	0.12	24%	12%	0.002	-	18%	27%	0%	22%	0.005	-42°	0seconds
03:00 ☾	0.11	18%	15%	0.002	-	5%	18%	0%	32%	0.005	-34°	0seconds
04:00 ☾	0.11	12%	17%	0.002	-	5%	18%	0%	42%	0.005	-25°	0seconds
05:00 ☾	0.12	6%	20%	0.002	-	87%	16%	0%	51%	0.005	-13°	0seconds
06:00 ☾	0.11	4%	18%	0.002	-	5%	23%	0%	57%	0.005	-0.65°	0seconds
07:00	0.12	3%	16%	0.002	-	41%	19%	0%	63%	0.006	12°	0seconds
08:00	0.13	1%	14%	0.002	-	5%	26%	0%	70%	0.006	25°	0seconds
09:00	0.12	1%	14%	0.002	-	14%	23%	0%	73%	0.006	39°	3600seconds
10:00	0.12	0%	15%	0.002	-	51%	19%	0%	77%	0.005	52°	3600seconds
11:00	0.13	0%	15%	0.002	-	99%	27%	0%	81%	0.005	66°	3600seconds
12:00	0.14	0%	14%	0.002	-	100%	21%	0%	75%	0.005	80°	3600seconds
13:00	0.14	0%	14%	0.002	-	100%	16%	0%	69%	0.005	86°	3600seconds
14:00 ☾	0.12	0%	13%	0.002	-	98%	15%	0%	63%	0.005	72°	3600seconds
15:00 ☾	-	0%	12%	-	-	100%	24%	0%	63%	-	58°	3600seconds
16:00 ☾	-	0%	12%	-	-	100%	28%	0%	63%	-	45°	3600seconds
17:00 ☾	-	0%	11%	-	-	100%	29%	0%	63%	-	31°	3600seconds
18:00 ☾	-	0%	12%	-	-	100%	20%	0%	63%	-	18°	3600seconds
19:00 ☾	-	0%	12%	-	-	100%	22%	0%	62%	-	4.6°	3600seconds
20:00 ☾	-	0%	13%	-	-	100%	26%	0%	62%	-	-8.1°	3600seconds
21:00 ☾	-	1%	16%	-	-	100%	21%	0%	55%	-	-20°	0seconds
22:00 ☾	-	3%	19%	-	-	98%	12%	0%	47%	-	-31°	0seconds
23:00 ☾	-	4%	22%	-	-	61%	16%	0%	40%	-	-39°	0seconds
Fri, Jul 10 Sunrise 06:01 Sunset 19:24
24:00 ☾	-	3%	20%	-	-	100%	18%	0%	39%	-	-45°	0seconds
01:00 ☾	-	2%	19%	-	-	100%	6%	0%	38%	-	-46°	0seconds
02:00 ☾	-	1%	17%	-	-	7%	6%	0%	37%	-	-42°	0seconds
03:00 ☾	-	1%	17%	-	-	5%	5%	0%	38%	-	-35°	0seconds
04:00 ☾	-	2%	18%	-	-	78%	12%	0%	39%	-	-25°	0seconds
05:00 ☾	-	2%	18%	-	-	91%	28%	0%	40%	-	-13°	0seconds
06:00 ☾	-	2%	18%	-	-	9%	16%	0%	43%	-	-0.76°	0seconds
07:00	-	1%	17%	-	-	72%	28%	0%	46%	-	12°	0seconds
08:00	-	1%	17%	-	-	65%	16%	0%	49%	-	25°	0seconds
09:00	-	1%	16%	-	-	67%	24%	0%	55%	-	39°	1200seconds
10:00	-	1%	16%	-	-	69%	32%	0%	60%	-	52°	2400seconds
11:00	-	1%	15%	-	-	71%	41%	0%	66%	-	66°	3600seconds
12:00	-	1%	14%	-	-	74%	45%	0%	59%	-	80°	3600seconds
13:00	-	0%	14%	-	-	78%	50%	0%	53%	-	86°	3600seconds
14:00 ☾	-	0%	13%	-	-	81%	54%	0%	47%	-	72°	3600seconds
15:00 ☾	-	0%	14%	-	-	87%	56%	0%	38%	-	58°	2400seconds
16:00 ☾	-	1%	14%	-	-	94%	58%	1%	30%	-	45°	1200seconds
17:00 ☾	-	1%	15%	-	-	100%	59%	1%	22%	-	31°	0seconds
18:00 ☾	-	1%	15%	-	-	100%	65%	18%	24%	-	18°	0seconds
19:00 ☾	-	1%	16%	-	-	100%	71%	34%	26%	-	4.6°	0seconds
20:00 ☾	-	1%	16%	-	-	100%	76%	50%	28%	-	-8.2°	0seconds
21:00 ☾	-	2%	18%	-	-	100%	80%	65%	31%	-	-20°	0seconds
22:00 ☾	-	2%	19%	-	-	100%	84%	80%	34%	-	-31°	0seconds
23:00 ☾	-	3%	21%	-	-	100%	87%	95%	38%	-	-39°	0seconds
Sat, Jul 11 Sunrise 06:01 Sunset 19:24
24:00 ☾	-	3%	20%	-	-	100%	83%	64%	35%	-	-45°	0seconds
01:00 ☾	-	2%	19%	-	-	100%	78%	32%	32%	-	-46°	0seconds
02:00 ☾	-	2%	18%	-	-	100%	74%	0%	30%	-	-42°	0seconds
03:00 ☾	-	3%	20%	-	-	100%	62%	19%	33%	-	-35°	1200seconds

How to read: these inputs help produce the derived score; they are not requirements by themselves.

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