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Rule Painted Sky

Painted Sky Forecast for Morocco

Morocco, Morocco

Painted sky photography in Morocco. Dramatic desert sunsets over Saharan dunes, Atlas Mountain twilight from Imlil, colorful skies above Atlantic coast.

Upcoming Opportunities

When all conditions match, PhotoWeather marks an opportunity window.

Times shown in Africa/Casablanca

No opportunities in the next 14 days

See the blocker timeline below to understand which conditions are preventing matches.

This forecast tracks dramatic sunrise and sunset conditions that paint Morocco's diverse landscapes—from Saharan horizons to Atlas peaks and Atlantic coasts. We analyze cloud coverage patterns, atmospheric conditions, and particulate levels to predict when colorful skies enhance Morocco's desert, mountain, and coastal photography.

Morocco's position between the Atlantic Ocean and the Sahara Desert creates varied atmospheric conditions that produce spectacular colored skies. Desert locations benefit from dust particles that enhance orange and red tones. The Atlas Mountains provide high-altitude viewpoints where cloud layers create multi-toned skies. The Atlantic coast combines maritime conditions with desert-influenced atmospherics.

What makes Morocco painted-sky photography distinctive:

  • Desert drama - Saharan sunsets at Merzouga paint entire skies in deep oranges, reds, and purples over dunes
  • Mountain twilight - Atlas peaks catch last light while valleys darken, creating layered compositions from Imlil
  • Atlantic intensity - Essaouira and coastal towns combine ocean horizons with desert-influenced atmospheric color
  • Architectural silhouettes - Kasbahs, medina skylines, and minarets create exotic profiles against colorful skies

Erg Chebbi near Merzouga delivers Morocco's most spectacular desert sunsets—climb the tall dunes to capture 360-degree painted skies with no horizon obstructions, as the sky transitions through yellows, oranges, reds, and purples. The clean desert air and suspended dust create intense colors. Imlil and the High Atlas provide mountain sunset drama with Toubkal catching alpenglow while painted skies spread above terraced valleys and Berber villages. Essaouira's Atlantic ramparts offer dramatic coastal sunsets with clouds rolling from the ocean, particularly striking in autumn and winter. Marrakech's skyline of minarets and the Koutoubia Mosque create silhouettes against orange evening skies. Ouarzazate's desert-edge position provides painted skies above palm groves and kasbahs. Autumn through spring provides more varied cloud coverage than summer. Desert locations deliver painted skies year-round.

Location status

0 of 10 locations currently active

Marrakech

Inactive

Marrakech's ochre walls and narrow souks create nested architectural frames at street level. From high terraces, the Koutoubia minaret separates cleanly above palms and dense rooftops.

Marrakesh, Marrakesh-Safi, Morocco

Right now: Wind Speed too high (6.2m/s, ≤ 6.0m/s)

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Chefchaouen

Inactive

Chefchaouen's stepped lanes climb between bluewashed walls in the Rif foothills. Arches and doors break the saturated surfaces, while glimpses of surrounding slopes add depth beyond the medina.

Chefchaouen, Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima, Morocco

Right now: Painted Sky Potential too low (23%, ≥ 80.0%)

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Fes

Inactive

Fes's medina forms a dense roofscape punctuated by minarets when seen from above. The tannery vats offer a tighter geometric study built from repeated circles and earth colours.

Fes, Fès-Meknès, Morocco

Right now: Painted Sky Potential too low (23%, ≥ 80.0%)

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Merzouga

Inactive

Merzouga's dune crests and wind ripples form clean lines across the Erg Chebbi sand. A lone acacia, caravan, or distant village edge provides scale without crowding the desert forms.

Merzouga, Drâa-Tafilalet, Morocco

Right now: Wind Speed too high (6.2m/s, ≤ 6.0m/s)

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Essaouira

Inactive

Essaouira's blue fishing boats cluster below heavy stone ramparts. Harbour walls, gulls, and white medina blocks divide the working waterfront into distinct coastal layers.

Essaouira, Marrakesh-Safi, Morocco

Right now: Painted Sky Potential too low (22%, ≥ 80.0%)

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Ouarzazate

Inactive

Ouarzazate's earthen kasbahs rise against bare foothills and a dry high-desert landscape. Crenellated walls, palms, and riverbeds separate the architecture into warm-toned layers.

Ouarzazate, Drâa-Tafilalet, Morocco

Right now: Wind Speed too high (7.7m/s, ≤ 6.0m/s)

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Ifrane

Inactive

Ifrane's broad avenues and steep-roofed houses contrast with the surrounding cedar-covered hills. Outside town, open ground around old Atlas cedars allows their trunks and spreading forms to stand alone.

Ifrane, Fès-Meknès, Morocco

Right now: Painted Sky Potential too low (22%, ≥ 80.0%)

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Todra Gorge

Inactive

A wider view of Todra Gorge layers palms, road and people beneath sheer limestone walls, with a narrow strip of sky above the confined passage.

Tinghir, Drâa-Tafilalet, Morocco

Right now: Wind Speed too high (6.6m/s, ≤ 6.0m/s)

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Imlil

Inactive

Imlil's earthen homes and terraced orchards occupy a narrow valley beneath High Atlas ridges. Mule tracks and dry streambeds lead through the cultivated foreground toward the higher slopes.

Imlil, Souss-Massa, Morocco

Right now: Painted Sky Potential too low (23%, ≥ 80.0%)

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Asilah

Inactive

Asilah's white ramparts and blue doors support simple geometric architectural studies. The bastions open outward to frame the beach and uninterrupted Atlantic horizon.

Asilah, Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima, Morocco

Right now: Painted Sky Potential too low (22%, ≥ 80.0%)

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What's blocking opportunities

85-hour view of conditions preventing matches across 10 locations

Top 4 blocking conditions across 10 of 10 locations
Some blocked
Most blocked
22 Sat
23 Sun
24 Mon
25 Tue
06
12
18
24
06
12
18
24
06
12
18
24
06
12
18
Painted Sky Potential (≥ 80.0%)
100% blocked
Golden Hour (Any)
83% blocked
Wind Speed (≤ 6.0m/s)
19% blocked
Precipitation Chance (≤ 10.0%)
3% blocked
How to read: Each row shows when a condition blocks opportunities. Stronger red means more locations are affected. These are the top 4 conditions preventing matches across the 85-hour forecast.

How this forecast is made

Opportunities are threshold-based signals: PhotoWeather checks whether forecast conditions match the rules for a photography scenario. They are planning guidance, not guarantees. Forecasts can change as new model runs arrive, and confidence generally decreases farther into the forecast horizon, so recheck conditions before travelling.

The weather forecast foundation comes through Open-Meteo , which aggregates models from weather agencies. PhotoWeather applies condition-specific thresholds and derived calculations; not every condition uses every model or data input.

Forecast generated

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