Rule
Golden Hour
Asheville - Golden Hour - Smoky Mountains & Blue Ridge
Asheville, North Carolina, United States
That magical warm light just after sunrise or before sunset
Currently
Real-time conditionsLow Cloud Cover95%
Mid Cloud Cover0%
High Cloud Cover0%
Sun Elevation41.0° (Daylight)
Upcoming Opportunities
When all conditions match, PhotoWeather marks an opportunity window.
Times shown in America/New_York
Next opportunity
Excellent Golden Hour at Sunrise
Asheville
Wed, Feb 25 · 07:00–07:38 · 1h window
Medium confidence
50%
🌇Golden Hour Potential81.5%
Low Cloud Cover: 0%
Mid Cloud Cover: 44%
High Cloud Cover: 53%
Sun Elevation: -1.7° (Civil twilight)
Exceptional Golden Hour (calm) at Sunset
Asheville
Sat, Feb 28 · 17:51–18:40
🌇Golden Hour Potential:97.7-98.1%
Medium
What this forecast looks for
Plain-language explanation from the ruleThis forecast predicts when golden hour light will combine with the Smokies' legendary fall foliage and mountain ridgelines to create peak photography conditions. We track sun angle, foliage peak timing, and atmospheric clarity to identify when warm light will set the Appalachian landscape ablaze.
The Great Smoky Mountains contain more tree species than all of Europe, creating fall color displays of unmatched variety. The elevation range—from 875 to 6,643 feet—means peak color arrives at different times, extending the season from mid-September through early November. Add golden hour light to peak foliage on layered ridgelines, and you have compositions that define autumn photography.
What makes Smoky Mountains golden hour exceptional:
- Layered ridgelines - Multiple mountain ranges stack into the distance, each catching golden light differently
- Fall foliage variety - Over 100 tree species create tapestries of color from red to orange to yellow
- Blue Ridge Parkway overlooks - Dozens of viewpoints designed specifically for mountain vista photography
- Elevation-based timing - Peak foliage moves down the mountain, offering six-week shooting window
Best photography occurs during the mid-October peak, when color is at maximum saturation. Morning golden hour catches east-facing ridges, while evening illuminates west-facing slopes. Popular locations include Newfound Gap, Morton Overlook on Newfound Gap Road, and countless Blue Ridge Parkway overlooks. Weather can change rapidly; our forecast helps identify clear days for optimal light.
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72-hour requirements breakdown
What passed or failed, hour by hourAND logic: all conditions required
Meets requirement
Misses requirement
Time America/New_York | Golden Hour Any | Golden Hour Potential ≥ 80.0% | Precipitation Chance ≤ 5.0% | Visibility ≥ 1000.0m |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Feb 21 | ||||
| 14:00 | ✕ | 12% | 0% | 24135m |
| 15:00 | ✕ | 18% | 0% | 24134m |
| 16:00 | ✕ | 12% | 0% | 24135m |
| 17:00 | ✓ | 66% | 7.4% | 24135m |
| 18:00 | ✓ | 65% | 15% | 24135m |
| 19:00 | ✕ | 25% | 22% | 24135m |
| 20:00 | ✕ | 9.6% | 38% | 24135m |
| 21:00 | ✕ | 8.7% | 38% | 24134m |
| 22:00 | ✕ | 8.8% | 39% | 24135m |
| 23:00 | ✕ | 8.2% | 53% | 24134m |
| Sun, Feb 22 | ||||
| 24:00 | ✕ | 7.9% | 68% | 24135m |
| 01:00 | ✕ | 7.6% | 82% | 24134m |
| 02:00 | ✕ | 7.6% | 50% | 24134m |
| 03:00 | ✕ | 14% | 45% | 24134m |
| 04:00 | ✕ | 8.4% | 40% | 12704m |
| 05:00 | ✕ | 8.5% | 54% | 24135m |
| 06:00 | ✓ | 53% | 68% | 24135m |
| 07:00 | ✓ | 67% | 82% | 24125m |
| 08:00 | ✕ | 15% | 72% | 24135m |
| 09:00 | ✕ | 16% | 62% | 24135m |
| 10:00 | ✕ | 16% | 52% | 24135m |
| 11:00 | ✕ | 10% | 62% | 24129m |
| 12:00 | ✕ | 9.9% | 72% | 22016m |
| 13:00 | ✕ | 9.9% | 82% | 21056m |
| 14:00 | ✕ | 9.2% | 74% | 18415m |
| 15:00 | ✕ | 15% | 66% | 20182m |
| 16:00 | ✕ | 16% | 59% | 24128m |
| 17:00 | ✓ | 93% | 72% | 24135m |
| 18:00 | ✓ | 93% | 85% | 24135m |
| 19:00 | ✕ | 51% | 98% | 23195m |
| 20:00 | ✕ | 15% | 93% | 24135m |
| 21:00 | ✕ | 15% | 87% | 20661m |
| 22:00 | ✕ | 15% | 82% | 24135m |
| 23:00 | ✕ | 12% | 87% | 14280m |
| Mon, Feb 23 | ||||
| 24:00 | ✕ | 8.3% | 93% | 12468m |
| 01:00 | ✕ | 9.1% | 98% | 12136m |
| 02:00 | ✕ | 8.7% | 87% | 12051m |
| 03:00 | ✕ | 8.7% | 77% | 11968m |
| 04:00 | ✕ | 8.7% | 66% | 11241m |
| 05:00 | ✕ | 8.7% | 71% | 10062m |
| 06:00 | ✓ | 46% | 77% | 7719m |
| 07:00 | ✓ | 44% | 82% | 5485m |
| 08:00 | ✕ | 8.5% | 64% | 12503m |
| 09:00 | ✕ | 11% | 46% | 14722m |
| 10:00 | ✕ | 12% | 29% | 18024m |
| 11:00 | ✕ | 9.5% | 46% | 24134m |
| 12:00 | ✕ | 16% | 64% | 22364m |
| 13:00 | ✕ | 15% | 82% | 24134m |
| 14:00 | ✕ | 11% | 66% | 24135m |
| 15:00 | ✕ | 11% | 50% | 24135m |
| 16:00 | ✕ | 14% | 33% | 24135m |
| 17:00 | ✓ | 97% | 50% | 24135m |
| 18:00 | ✓ | 99% | 66% | 24134m |
| 19:00 | ✕ | 53% | 82% | 24135m |
| 20:00 | ✕ | 16% | 55% | 24134m |
| 21:00 | ✕ | 16% | 27% | 24135m |
| 22:00 | ✕ | 16% | 0% | 24135m |
| 23:00 | ✕ | 11% | 0% | 24135m |
| Tue, Feb 24 | ||||
| 24:00 | ✕ | 10% | 0% | 21890m |
| 01:00 | ✕ | 10% | 0% | 24135m |
| 02:00 | ✕ | 10% | 0% | 24134m |
| 03:00 | ✕ | 11% | 0% | 24134m |
| 04:00 | ✕ | 13% | 0% | 24135m |
| 05:00 | ✕ | 16% | 0% | 24135m |
| 06:00 | ✓ | 74% | 0% | 24134m |
| 07:00 | ✓ | 64% | 0% | 24135m |
| 08:00 | ✕ | 9.1% | 0% | 24134m |
| 09:00 | ✕ | 9.6% | 0% | 24135m |
| 10:00 | ✕ | 9.6% | 0% | 24135m |
| 11:00 | ✕ | 9.4% | 0% | 24134m |
| 12:00 | ✕ | 9.2% | 0% | 24135m |
| 13:00 | ✕ | 10% | 0% | 24135m |
| 14:00 | ✕ | 12% | 0% | 24134m |
| 15:00 | ✕ | 12% | 0% | 24134m |
| 16:00 | ✕ | 12% | 0% | 24134m |
| 17:00 | ✓ | 78% | 0% | 24134m |
| 18:00 | ✓ | 66% | 0% | 24134m |
| 19:00 | ✕ | 33% | 0% | 24135m |
| 20:00 | ✕ | 10% | 0% | 24135m |
| 21:00 | ✕ | 10% | 0% | 24135m |
| 22:00 | ✕ | 11% | 0% | 24135m |
| 23:00 | ✕ | 11% | 0% | 24135m |
| Wed, Feb 25 | ||||
| 24:00 | ✕ | 14% | 0% | 24135m |
| 01:00 | ✕ | 16% | 0% | 24135m |
| 02:00 | ✕ | 14% | 0% | 24135m |
| 03:00 | ✕ | 12% | 0% | 24135m |
| 04:00 | ✕ | 12% | 0% | 24135m |
| 05:00 | ✕ | 12% | 0% | 24135m |
| 06:00 | ✓ | 76% | 0% | 24135m |
| 07:00 | ✓ | 82% | 0% | 24135m |
| 08:00 | ✕ | 13% | 0% | 24135m |
| 09:00 | ✕ | 10% | 0% | 24135m |
| 10:00 | ✕ | 10% | 0% | 24135m |
| 11:00 | ✕ | 9.5% | 0% | 24135m |
| 12:00 | ✕ | 9% | 0% | 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 scoreThis 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/New_York | Golden Hour | High Clouds % | Low Clouds % | Mid-Level Clouds % | Relative Humidity % | Total Cloud Coverage % | Wind Speed m/s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, Feb 22
Sunrise 07:08
Sunset 18:18 | |||||||
| 14:00 | - | 0% | 95% | 0% | 49% | 95% | 8.4m/s |
| 15:00 | - | 0% | 51% | 0% | 56% | 51% | 8.2m/s |
| 16:00 | - | 0% | 10% | 0% | 61% | 10% | 8.5m/s |
| 17:00 | - | 0% | 7% | 0% | 65% | 7% | 9.1m/s |
| 18:00 | - | 0% | 16% | 0% | 73% | 16% | 9.2m/s |
| 19:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 22% | 0% | 76% | 22% | 10m/s |
| 20:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 22% | 0% | 74% | 22% | 11m/s |
| 21:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 22% | 0% | 74% | 22% | 12m/s |
| 22:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 21% | 0% | 74% | 21% | 11m/s |
| 23:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 58% | 0% | 74% | 58% | 10m/s |
| Mon, Feb 23
Sunrise 07:07
Sunset 18:19 | |||||||
| 24:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 89% | 0% | 76% | 89% | 9m/s |
| 01:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 79% | 0% | 76% | 79% | 8.6m/s |
| 02:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 88% | 0% | 76% | 88% | 8.1m/s |
| 03:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 100% | 0% | 75% | 100% | 7.8m/s |
| 04:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 100% | 0% | 75% | 100% | 8.1m/s |
| 05:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 90% | 0% | 75% | 90% | 8.2m/s |
| 06:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 88% | 0% | 75% | 88% | 8.1m/s |
| 07:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 95% | 0% | 75% | 95% | 8.3m/s |
| 08:00 | - | 0% | 83% | 0% | 72% | 83% | 9.1m/s |
| 09:00 | - | 0% | 65% | 0% | 66% | 65% | 9.4m/s |
| 10:00 | - | 0% | 60% | 0% | 60% | 60% | 9.4m/s |
| 11:00 | - | 0% | 96% | 0% | 57% | 96% | 9.1m/s |
| 12:00 | - | 0% | 34% | 0% | 54% | 34% | 9.1m/s |
| 13:00 | - | 0% | 51% | 0% | 49% | 51% | 9.1m/s |
| 14:00 | - | 0% | 67% | 0% | 44% | 67% | 8.8m/s |
| 15:00 | - | 0% | 69% | 0% | 46% | 69% | 8.5m/s |
| 16:00 | - | 0% | 57% | 0% | 51% | 57% | 8m/s |
| 17:00 | - | 0% | 40% | 0% | 56% | 40% | 7.7m/s |
| 18:00 | - | 0% | 42% | 0% | 61% | 42% | 7.7m/s |
| 19:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 18% | 0% | 63% | 18% | 8.1m/s |
| 20:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 14% | 0% | 62% | 14% | 8.1m/s |
| 21:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 15% | 0% | 64% | 15% | 8.3m/s |
| 22:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 17% | 0% | 66% | 17% | 7.9m/s |
| 23:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 72% | 0% | 69% | 72% | 7.3m/s |
| Tue, Feb 24
Sunrise 07:06
Sunset 18:20 | |||||||
| 24:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 100% | 0% | 71% | 100% | 6.8m/s |
| 01:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 100% | 0% | 72% | 100% | 5.8m/s |
| 02:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 100% | 0% | 74% | 100% | 5.1m/s |
| 03:00 ☾ | - | 0% | 82% | 0% | 74% | 82% | 4.1m/s |
| 04:00 ☾ | - | 4% | 62% | 0% | 78% | 62% | 3.2m/s |
| 05:00 ☾ | - | 5% | 46% | 1% | 80% | 46% | 2.8m/s |
| 06:00 ☾ | - | 70% | 28% | 4% | 82% | 70% | 2.3m/s |
| 07:00 ☾ | - | 100% | 14% | 5% | 83% | 100% | 2.1m/s |
| 08:00 | - | 100% | 13% | 68% | 75% | 100% | 1.9m/s |
| 09:00 | - | 100% | 3% | 96% | 63% | 100% | 2m/s |
| 10:00 | - | 100% | 0% | 100% | 49% | 100% | 2.1m/s |
| 11:00 | - | 100% | 0% | 100% | 38% | 100% | 2.2m/s |
| 12:00 | - | 100% | 0% | 100% | 32% | 100% | 2.1m/s |
| 13:00 | - | 54% | 0% | 100% | 30% | 100% | 1.5m/s |
| 14:00 | - | 0% | 0% | 100% | 29% | 100% | 1.2m/s |
| 15:00 | - | 0% | 0% | 100% | 28% | 100% | 1.3m/s |
| 16:00 | - | 1% | 0% | 88% | 29% | 88% | 1m/s |
| 17:00 | - | 73% | 0% | 5% | 34% | 73% | 1m/s |
| 18:00 | - | 88% | 0% | 36% | 49% | 88% | 1.3m/s |
| 19:00 ☾ | - | 98% | 0% | 96% | 55% | 98% | 0.93m/s |
| 20:00 ☾ | - | 98% | 0% | 90% | 56% | 98% | 0.97m/s |
| 21:00 ☾ | - | 98% | 1% | 83% | 56% | 98% | 1m/s |
| 22:00 ☾ | - | 98% | 1% | 76% | 57% | 98% | 1m/s |
| 23:00 ☾ | - | 83% | 4% | 55% | 58% | 83% | 1m/s |
| Wed, Feb 25
Sunrise 07:05
Sunset 18:21 | |||||||
| 24:00 ☾ | - | 68% | 6% | 35% | 59% | 68% | 1m/s |
| 01:00 ☾ | - | 53% | 9% | 14% | 60% | 53% | 0.99m/s |
| 02:00 ☾ | - | 69% | 6% | 11% | 58% | 69% | 1.2m/s |
| 03:00 ☾ | - | 84% | 3% | 8% | 56% | 84% | 1.4m/s |
| 04:00 ☾ | - | 99% | 0% | 5% | 54% | 99% | 1.6m/s |
| 05:00 ☾ | - | 84% | 0% | 18% | 52% | 86% | 2.6m/s |
| 06:00 ☾ | - | 68% | 0% | 31% | 51% | 72% | 3.5m/s |
| 07:00 ☾ | - | 53% | 0% | 44% | 49% | 58% | 4.5m/s |
| 08:00 | - | 69% | 4% | 38% | 52% | 72% | 4.1m/s |
| 09:00 | - | 84% | 7% | 32% | 54% | 86% | 3.8m/s |
| 10:00 | - | 100% | 10% | 26% | 57% | 100% | 3.4m/s |
| 11:00 | - | 100% | 40% | 48% | 67% | 100% | 2.7m/s |
| 12:00 | - | 100% | 70% | 70% | 77% | 100% | 2m/s |
| 13:00 | - | 100% | 100% | 93% | 87% | 100% | 1.3m/s |
How to read: these inputs help produce the derived score; they are not requirements by themselves.
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