Rule Dark Skies

Dark Skies Forecast for US Southwest

Southwest, United States

Astrophotography in the Southwest. Track dark skies at Monument Valley, Bryce Canyon.

100 matching opportunities in the 14-day forecast.

Upcoming Opportunities

When all conditions match, PhotoWeather marks an opportunity window.

Times shown in America/Phoenix

First upcoming window

Pristine Dark Skies (pristine)

Big Bend

Wed, Nov 4 · 18:26–04:49 · 10h window

Medium confidence

56%

🌛Moon Altitude-59.7-15.6°

☁️Total Cloud Coverage0-11%

Pristine Dark Skies (pristine)

White Sands

Wed, Nov 4 · 18:33–05:00

🌛Moon Altitude:-56.6-13°

Medium

Pristine Dark Skies (pristine)

Bryce Canyon

Wed, Nov 4 · 18:49–05:16

🌛Moon Altitude:-56.9-21.5°

Medium

Pristine Dark Skies (pristine)

Sedona

Wed, Nov 4 · 18:55–05:25

🌛Moon Altitude:-54.9-19.4°

Medium

Pristine Dark Skies (pristine)

Grand Canyon

Wed, Nov 4 · 18:56–05:27

🌛Moon Altitude:-53.7-18.8°

Medium

Pristine Dark Skies (pristine)

Capitol Reef

Wed, Nov 4 · 19:00–05:26

🌛Moon Altitude:-51.5-18.7°

Medium

Pristine Dark Skies (pristine)

Joshua Tree

Wed, Nov 4 · 19:13–05:42

🌛Moon Altitude:-55.3-16.2°

Medium

+43 more windows in the next 14 days

Location status

0 of 10 locations matching now

Monument Valley

Not matching

Monument Valley’s isolated sandstone buttes rise above open desert, offering clean silhouettes, layered mesas and long shadows across the red valley floor.

Oljato-Monument Valley, Utah, United States

Blocked by: Astronomical Night: Outside time window

Next opportunity in ~21h 2m

11 opportunities in the 14-day forecast

View forecast

Bryce Canyon

Not matching

Bryce Canyon’s dense hoodoos form intricate patterns below the rim, with winter snow occasionally separating orange spires into graphic layers.

Bryce, Arizona, United States

Blocked by: Total Cloud Coverage too high (80%, ≤ 20.0%)

Next opportunity in ~18h 51m

10 opportunities in the 14-day forecast

View forecast

Arches

Not matching

Arches pairs freestanding sandstone arches with fins, balanced rocks and distant La Sal peaks, ideal for framed desert views and night-sky silhouettes.

Moab, Utah, United States

Blocked by: Total Cloud Coverage too high (100%, ≤ 20.0%)

Next opportunity in ~1 day 1h

10 opportunities in the 14-day forecast

View forecast

Grand Canyon

Not matching

The Grand Canyon layers cliffs, temples and the Colorado River into immense depth, with changing light revealing successive bands of rock and atmosphere.

Grand Canyon, Arizona, United States

Blocked by: Astronomical Night: Outside time window

Next opportunity in ~18h 59m

7 opportunities in the 14-day forecast

View forecast

Death Valley

Not matching

Death Valley offers salt polygons, alluvial fans, dunes and eroded badlands, with winter bringing milder conditions and occasional cloud texture.

Furnace Creek, California, United States

Blocked by: Astronomical Night: Outside time window

Next opportunity in ~19h 17m

13 opportunities in the 14-day forecast

View forecast

Joshua Tree

Not matching

Joshua Tree combines branching desert trees with rounded granite boulders, open washes and mountain silhouettes for strong foreground-led night scenes.

Twentynine Palms, California, United States

Blocked by: Astronomical Night: Outside time window

Next opportunity in ~19h 15m

15 opportunities in the 14-day forecast

View forecast

White Sands

Not matching

White Sands presents repeating gypsum dunes, wind-carved ripples and sparse yucca, with low light defining curves and blue-hour shadows.

Alamogordo, New Mexico, United States

Blocked by: Astronomical Night: Outside time window

Next opportunity in ~18h 36m

10 opportunities in the 14-day forecast

View forecast

Sedona

Not matching

Sedona’s red sandstone towers rise above juniper-covered slopes, creating bold color contrast, framed canyon views and layered desert ridgelines.

Sedona, Arizona, United States

Blocked by: Astronomical Night: Outside time window

Next opportunity in ~18h 58m

8 opportunities in the 14-day forecast

View forecast

Capitol Reef

Not matching

Capitol Reef combines the Waterpocket Fold, pale domes, orchards and narrow canyons, with rock layers and cottonwoods supplying scale and contrast.

Torrey, Utah, United States

Blocked by: Total Cloud Coverage too high (100%, ≤ 20.0%)

Next opportunity in ~19h 2m

7 opportunities in the 14-day forecast

View forecast

Big Bend

Not matching

Big Bend frames the Chisos Mountains, Chihuahuan Desert and Rio Grande canyons in broad layers, with spring wildflowers appearing in favorable years.

Terlingua, Texas, United States

Blocked by: Astronomical Night: Outside time window

Next opportunity in ~18h 29m

9 opportunities in the 14-day forecast

View forecast

What's blocking opportunities

95-hour forecast horizon; times in America/Phoenix.

Top 5 blocking conditions across 10 of 10 locations

Some blocked

Most blocked

3 Tue

4 Wed

5 Thu

6 Fri

Astronomical Night (Any)

70% blocked

Moon Altitude (≤ 10.0°)

45% blocked

Total Cloud Coverage (≤ 20.0%)

32% blocked

Precipitation Chance (≤ 10.0%)

1% blocked

Visibility (≥ 12000.0m)

0% blocked

How to read: Each row shows when a condition blocks opportunities. Stronger red means more locations are affected. These are the top 5 conditions preventing matches across the 95-hour forecast.

Astrophotography in the Southwest. Track dark skies at Monument Valley, Bryce Canyon.

This rule looks for true astronomical night, cloud cover no higher than 20%, visibility of at least 12 km, precipitation probability no higher than 10%, and either Moon illumination no higher than 35% or Moon altitude no higher than 10°. It does not calculate Galactic Centre or Milky Way core altitude; check a sky planner for the subject's position.

This forecast finds astronomical-night windows with low cloud and precipitation risk, good visibility, and either a dim Moon or one low in the sky. It does not calculate Milky Way core altitude; use a sky planner to confirm the core's position for your composition.

The American Southwest offers some of the darkest skies in the developed world. Many of these locations hold International Dark Sky Park designations, meaning active protection of their exceptional night sky quality.

What makes the Southwest special for astrophotography:

Exceptional darkness - Death Valley and Big Bend rank among the darkest places in North America
Dry climate - Low humidity means better atmospheric transparency and seeing conditions
Iconic foregrounds - Arches, hoodoos, mesas, and desert landscapes create unforgettable compositions
Altitude advantage - Many locations sit above 5,000 feet, reducing atmospheric interference

The Milky Way core is best visible from March through October in the Northern Hemisphere. For the most dramatic shots, plan around new moon phases and arrive well before astronomical twilight ends. Summer months offer the Milky Way core high overhead, while spring and fall provide lower-angle views perfect for wide landscape compositions.

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.

How opportunities work → Weather data sources →

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