Photography planning guide
Golden Hour and Twilight Weather
Use solar timing, cloud structure, visibility, and precipitation breaks to identify likely warm-light and blue-hour setups.
Planning goal
Combine promising light windows with clouds, clarity, and moisture that let low-angle light reach the scene.
Start with the combined condition
First-pass shortlistBest first warm-light check
Golden Hour Potential
freeGolden Hour Potential combines low-angle light with cloud and clarity signals so you can separate ordinary golden hour timing from weather that may actually support strong colour.
Open the Golden Hour Potential guide
What it combines
Use the score to shortlist hours, then check the ingredient fields for the reason behind the result.
Signals worth waiting for
- Low sun with a clear path to your subject or sky
- Broken cloud, high cloud, or a clean horizon rather than a solid block
- Good visibility for colour and distant contrast
- Precipitation clearing before the light window, not peaking during it
- Composition aligned with light direction, shadow length, and access timing
Example alert rules
- Golden hour active + broken cloud
- Solar elevation low + visibility high
- Rain ending before golden hour
Supporting weather fields
25 weather fieldsGolden Hour
Golden hour periods with warm, soft light
Blue Hour
Deep blue sky after sunset/before sunrise
Civil Twilight
Sun 0-6° below horizon
Solar Elevation
Sun's angle above horizon (0° = horizon, 90° = zenith)
Total Cloud Coverage
freeOverall cloud coverage across all altitudes
Visibility
freeHorizontal visibility distance
Aerosol Optical Depth (550nm)
proTotal aerosol optical depth at 550nm. Lower values indicate clearer skies and more vivid colours.
Ångström Exponent
proÅngström exponent (α) computed from AOD at 550nm and 865nm. Indicates aerosol particle size: higher values = smaller particles (pollution, smoke), lower values = larger particles (dust, sea salt).
Astronomical Twilight
Sun 12-18° below horizon
Cloud Base Height
freeEstimated height of cloud base above ground level
Day/Night Period
Daylight period conditions (day/night)
Diffuse Radiation
freeScattered solar radiation from clouds and atmosphere. Higher values indicate soft, even lighting ideal for portraits.
Direct Radiation
freeDirect (beam) solar radiation reaching the surface. Higher values indicate harsh, directional light with defined shadows.
Dust AOD (550nm)
proDust component of aerosol optical depth. High dust reduces air clarity and can create warm-toned haze.
High Clouds
freeCloud coverage above 6km altitude (cirrus)
Low Clouds
freeCloud coverage below 2km altitude
Mid-Level Clouds
freeCloud coverage between 2-6km altitude
Nautical Twilight
Sun 6-12° below horizon
Precipitation Chance
freeProbability of any precipitation occurring
Sea Salt AOD (550nm)
proSea salt component of aerosol optical depth. Indicates marine aerosols from ocean spray, common in coastal areas.
Smoke AOD (550nm)
proSmoke component of aerosol optical depth (black carbon + organic matter). Indicates wildfire smoke or urban pollution affecting air quality and visibility.
Solar Azimuth
Sun's compass direction (0° = North, 180° = South)
Solar Radiation
proShortwave solar radiation from sun
Sunshine Duration
freeSeconds of direct sunlight per hour
UV Index
proUV radiation index (0-15+)
Useful combinations
These are starting points for photographer-first alerts. Adjust thresholds for your location, season, subject, and safety margin.
Golden hour + broken cloud
Broken cloud can add colour and shadow depth; total low overcast usually blocks direct warm light.
Blue hour + wet streets
Recent rain can turn city lights into reflections once precipitation eases and the sky deepens.
Solar elevation + visibility
Low sun looks better when the air is clear enough to hold contrast, or hazy in a way you intentionally want.
Related alert templates
Use templates when you want a ready-made rule, then tune it for how strict you want the alert to be.
Create alerts for this shooting goal
Open the individual field guides above to see practical values, mistakes, limitations, and PhotoWeather rule examples.
Create a free account