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Rule Dark Skies

Dark Skies Forecast for US Southwest

Southwest, United States

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

52 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)

White Sands

Sat, Sep 19 · 23:00–04:28 · 5h window

Medium confidence

59%

🌛Moon Altitude-47.9-8°

☁️Total Cloud Coverage0-11%

Pristine Dark Skies (pristine)

Grand Canyon

Sat, Sep 19 · 23:00–04:48

🌛Moon Altitude:-43-9.7°

Medium

Pristine Dark Skies (pristine)

Capitol Reef

Sat, Sep 19 · 23:00–04:42

🌛Moon Altitude:-43.7-7.8°

Medium

Pristine Dark Skies (pristine)

Arches

Sat, Sep 19 · 23:00–04:35

🌛Moon Altitude:-45.2-6.5°

Medium

Pristine Dark Skies (pristine)

Monument Valley

Sat, Sep 19 · 23:00–04:40

🌛Moon Altitude:-44.6-8°

Medium

Pristine Dark Skies (pristine)

Sedona

Sun, Sep 20 · 24:00–04:48

🌛Moon Altitude:-43.3-1.1°

Medium

Pristine Dark Skies (pristine)

Bryce Canyon

Sun, Sep 20 · 24:00–04:43

🌛Moon Altitude:-44.7-0.8°

Medium

+43 more windows in the next 14 days

Location status

0 of 10 locations matching now

Monument Valley

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 ~8h 54m

6 opportunities in the 14-day forecast

Bryce Canyon

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: Astronomical Night: Outside time window

Next opportunity in ~9h 54m

4 opportunities in the 14-day forecast

Arches

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: Astronomical Night: Outside time window

Next opportunity in ~8h 54m

5 opportunities in the 14-day forecast

Grand Canyon

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 ~8h 54m

5 opportunities in the 14-day forecast

Death Valley

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 ~3 days 13h

4 opportunities in the 14-day forecast

Joshua Tree

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 ~10h 54m

11 opportunities in the 14-day forecast

White Sands

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 ~8h 54m

2 opportunities in the 14-day forecast

Sedona

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 ~9h 54m

6 opportunities in the 14-day forecast

Capitol Reef

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: Astronomical Night: Outside time window

Next opportunity in ~8h 54m

4 opportunities in the 14-day forecast

Big Bend

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 ~9 days 5h

5 opportunities in the 14-day forecast

What's blocking opportunities

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

Top 5 blocking conditions across 10 of 10 locations

Some blocked

Most blocked

18 Fri

19 Sat

20 Sun

21 Mon

22 Tue

24

06

12

18

24

06

12

18

24

06

12

18

24

06

Moon Illumination (≤ 35.0%)

100% blocked

Astronomical Night (Any)

65% blocked

Total Cloud Coverage (≤ 20.0%)

43% blocked

Moon Altitude (≤ 10.0°)

28% blocked

Precipitation Chance (≤ 10.0%)

11% 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 85-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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