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Weather Parameters

This guide covers all weather parameters available for creating photography rules. Understanding these parameters helps you create precise conditions for your ideal shooting weather.

  • Update Frequency: Daily on Free, every 3 hours on Plus, hourly on Pro
  • Forecast Range: 3 days (Free), 7 days (Plus), 14 days (Pro)
  • Parameters: 25+ photography-relevant weather measurements
  • Coverage: Global weather data availability
  • Unit: °C
  • Range: -50.0 to 60.0
  • Description: Air temperature at 2 meters above ground
  • Photography Use: Comfortable shooting range 15-25°C. Cold enhances frost/fog, warmth creates haze.
  • Unit: °C
  • Range: -60.0 to 70.0
  • Description: Temperature accounting for wind chill and humidity
  • Photography Use: Important for outdoor comfort during long shoots. Consider wind chill in winter.
  • Unit: °C
  • Range: -50.0 to 60.0
  • Description: Ground/surface temperature at 0cm depth
  • Photography Use: Surface temperature determines frost formation. Often 2-4°C cooler than air temperature.
  • Unit: %
  • Range: 0 to 100
  • Description: Moisture content relative to saturation
  • Photography Use: High humidity (>80%) increases fog chances. Low humidity creates clear air.
  • Unit: °C
  • Range: -50.0 to 40.0
  • Description: Dew point temperature at 2 meters
  • Photography Use: Close to air temperature creates fog conditions. Important for frost prediction.
  • Unit: kPa
  • Range: 0 to 7
  • Description: Difference between saturation and actual vapor pressure
  • Photography Use: Low values indicate humid conditions. High values suggest dry air and potential haze.
  • Unit: %
  • Range: 0 to 100
  • Description: Overall cloud coverage across all altitudes
  • Photography Use: Partial clouds (20-80%) create dramatic lighting. Clear for stars, overcast for even light.
  • Unit: %
  • Range: 0 to 100
  • Description: Cloud coverage below 2km altitude
  • Photography Use: Low clouds create atmospheric layers and fog effects.
  • Unit: %
  • Range: 0 to 100
  • Description: Cloud coverage between 2-6km altitude
  • Photography Use: Mid-level clouds create textures without blocking golden hour light.
  • Unit: %
  • Range: 0 to 100
  • Description: Cloud coverage above 6km altitude (cirrus)
  • Photography Use: Thin high clouds enhance sunsets without blocking light completely.
  • Unit: m/s
  • Range: 0 to 50
  • Description: Wind speed at 10 meters above ground
  • Photography Use: Low wind for sharp images. Moderate wind creates motion in clouds/water.
  • Unit: ° (degrees)
  • Range: 0 to 360
  • Description: Wind direction in degrees (0° = North)
  • Photography Use: Wind direction affects cloud movement and wave patterns.
  • Unit: m/s
  • Range: 0 to 80
  • Description: Maximum wind gust speed
  • Photography Use: Strong gusts can shake tripods. Plan for wind protection.
  • Unit: mm
  • Range: 0 to 300
  • Description: Combined rain and snow precipitation
  • Photography Use: Light precipitation creates atmosphere. Protect gear above 1mm/h.
  • Unit: mm
  • Range: 0 to 300
  • Description: Liquid precipitation amount
  • Photography Use: Light rain creates reflections. Moderate rain requires weather protection.
  • Unit: mm
  • Range: 0 to 100
  • Description: Shower-type precipitation (brief, heavy bursts)
  • Photography Use: Showers create dramatic lighting with sun breaks and rainbows.
  • Unit: mm
  • Range: 0 to 1000
  • Description: Snow precipitation amount
  • Photography Use: Fresh snow transforms landscapes. Light snowfall creates magical atmosphere.
  • Unit: %
  • Range: 0 to 100
  • Description: Probability of any precipitation occurring
  • Photography Use: Below 30% is safe. 50-70% can create dramatic skies if prepared.
  • Unit: seconds
  • Range: 0 to 3600
  • Description: Seconds of direct sunlight per hour
  • Photography Use: Long duration creates strong shadows. Limited duration offers softer conditions.
  • Unit: W/m²
  • Range: 0 to 1500
  • Description: Shortwave solar radiation from sun
  • Photography Use: Total solar radiation available for photography lighting.
  • Unit: UV index
  • Range: 0 to 15
  • Description: UV radiation index (0-15+)
  • Photography Use: High UV creates harsh lighting but clear skies. Protect equipment and skin.
  • Unit: m (meters)
  • Range: 0 to 50000
  • Description: Horizontal visibility distance
  • Photography Use: Reduced visibility (<5km) creates atmosphere. Clear visibility (>20km) for distant subjects.
  • Unit: hPa
  • Range: 870 to 1085
  • Description: Atmospheric pressure at surface level
  • Photography Use: High pressure (>1020 hPa) brings clear skies. Low pressure creates dynamic weather.
  • Unit: J/kg
  • Range: 0 to 8000
  • Description: Convective Available Potential Energy
  • Photography Use: High CAPE (>2500 J/kg) indicates thunderstorm potential - dramatic but dangerous.
  • Unit: °C
  • Range: -15 to 15
  • Description: Temperature difference measure for atmospheric stability
  • Photography Use: Negative values indicate instability. -6 to -4 creates spectacular storm opportunities.
  • Unit: m (meters)
  • Range: 0 to 8000
  • Description: Height of 0°C isotherm above sea level
  • Photography Use: Important for mountain photography - indicates snow vs rain conditions.
  • Unit: m (meters)
  • Range: 0 to 10
  • Description: Snow depth accumulated on ground
  • Photography Use: Fresh snow creates dramatic winter landscapes and clean backgrounds.
  • Description: Simple day/night boolean flag (true = day, false = night)
  • Photography Use: Basic day/night filtering. For more control, use astronomical period conditions.

PhotoWeather includes computed photography conditions that combine multiple weather parameters:

  • Unit: %
  • Range: 0.0 to 100.0
  • Description: Multi-factor fog formation likelihood combining visibility, dewpoint spread, humidity, and time-of-day analysis
  • Photography Use: Values above 70% indicate excellent fog conditions for atmospheric photography.
  • Unit: °C
  • Range: 0.0 to 30.0
  • Description: Temperature difference between air temperature and dew point
  • Photography Use: Low values (0-3°C) indicate high fog probability. Perfect for atmospheric photography.
  • Unit: %
  • Range: 0.0 to 100.0
  • Description: Atmospheric suitability for golden hour photography across extended time window around golden hour periods
  • Photography Use: Evaluates atmospheric conditions for golden hour photography regardless of exact timing. Combine with ‘golden_hour: any’ for clean event timing.
  • Unit: %
  • Range: 0.0 to 100.0
  • Description: Cloud formation suitability for golden hour photography across extended time window around golden hour periods
  • Photography Use: Evaluates cloud formations for golden hour photography. Best results with 30-60% cloud coverage distributed across multiple layers.
  • Unit: %
  • Range: 0.0 to 100.0
  • Description: Atmospheric suitability for fiery red sky conditions across extended time window around sunrise/sunset periods
  • Photography Use: Evaluates atmospheric conditions for intense red/orange sky coloration. Combine with ‘solar_elevation: [-6, 2]’ for optimal timing. Scores above 85% represent ideal atmospheric setup.
  • Unit: %
  • Range: 0.0 to 100.0
  • Description: Analysis of cloud formations and atmospheric conditions for dramatic sky photography
  • Photography Use: Higher scores indicate more dramatic cloud formations. 70+ is excellent for landscapes.
  • Unit: %
  • Range: 0.0 to 100.0
  • Description: Storm intensity analysis combining precipitation, wind conditions, atmospheric pressure, and visibility
  • Photography Use: Higher values indicate more intense storm conditions. Use caution above 70%.
  • Unit: %
  • Range: 0.0 to 100.0
  • Description: Frost formation probability combining temperature, dewpoint spread, cloud cover, and wind analysis
  • Photography Use: High values indicate frost formation likely. Excellent for macro and landscape photography.

PhotoWeather includes time-based conditions for optimal lighting:

  • golden_hour: Golden hour periods with warm, soft light (sun between 0° and 6° above horizon)
    • Available periods: morning, evening, any
  • blue_hour: Deep blue sky after sunset/before sunrise (sun between 4° and 8° below horizon)
    • Available periods: morning, evening, any
  • civil_twilight: Sun 0-6° below horizon
    • Available periods: dawn, dusk
  • nautical_twilight: Sun 6-12° below horizon
    • Available periods: dawn, dusk
  • astronomical_twilight: Sun 12-18° below horizon
    • Available periods: dawn, dusk
  • astronomical_night: Darkest period between astronomical dusk and dawn
  • is_daylight: Day/night period conditions
    • Available periods: day, night, any
  • solar_elevation: Sun’s angle above horizon (0° = horizon, 90° = zenith)
    • Unit: ° (degrees)
    • Range: -90 to 90
    • Photography Use: Low angles (0-30°) for dramatic shadows, high angles (60-90°) for minimal shadows
  • solar_azimuth: Sun’s compass direction (0° = North, 180° = South)
    • Unit: ° (degrees)
    • Range: 0 to 360
    • Photography Use: Control light direction for backlighting, side-lighting, or front-lighting
  • moon_phase: Specific moon phase requirements
    • Available phases: new_moon, full_moon, quarter
    • Photography Use: Full moon for bright illumination, new moon for darkest skies (Milky Way)
  • moon_visibility: Moon must be above the horizon
    • Available periods: visible, not_visible
    • Photography Use: Essential for moonlit landscapes and night photography
  • moon_illumination: Percentage of moon disc illuminated (0% = new, 100% = full)
    • Unit: %
    • Range: 0 to 100
    • Photography Use: High illumination for landscapes. Low illumination for astrophotography.
  • moon_altitude: Moon’s elevation angle above horizon
    • Unit: ° (degrees)
    • Range: -90 to 90
    • Photography Use: Higher moon provides more light and avoids atmospheric interference
  • moon_azimuth: Moon’s compass direction (0° = North, 180° = South)
    • Unit: ° (degrees)
    • Range: 0 to 360
    • Photography Use: Control moon position relative to your subject for optimal lighting
  • High fog probability (70%+)
  • Very light winds (under 2 m/s)
  • Reduced visibility (under 5km)
  • Time window around sunrise
  • During golden hour periods
  • Partial cloud cover (30-70%)
  • Low precipitation chance (under 20%)
  • Calm winds (under 5 m/s)
  • During astronomical night
  • Low moon illumination (under 30%)
  • Clear skies (under 20% cloud cover)
  • Excellent visibility (over 20km)

Ready to use these parameters in your rules? Continue to:

  1. Time Windows - Control when rules are active
  2. Rule Basics - Learn how to create effective rules
  3. Complex Conditions - Combine parameters with advanced logic