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.
Weather Data Updates
Section titled “Weather Data Updates”- 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
Temperature Parameters
Section titled “Temperature Parameters”temperature_2m
Section titled “temperature_2m”- 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.
apparent_temperature
Section titled “apparent_temperature”- 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.
soil_temperature_0cm
Section titled “soil_temperature_0cm”- 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.
Humidity and Moisture
Section titled “Humidity and Moisture”relative_humidity_2m
Section titled “relative_humidity_2m”- Unit: %
- Range: 0 to 100
- Description: Moisture content relative to saturation
- Photography Use: High humidity (>80%) increases fog chances. Low humidity creates clear air.
dew_point_2m
Section titled “dew_point_2m”- 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.
vapour_pressure_deficit
Section titled “vapour_pressure_deficit”- 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.
Cloud Coverage
Section titled “Cloud Coverage”cloud_cover
Section titled “cloud_cover”- 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.
cloud_cover_low
Section titled “cloud_cover_low”- Unit: %
- Range: 0 to 100
- Description: Cloud coverage below 2km altitude
- Photography Use: Low clouds create atmospheric layers and fog effects.
cloud_cover_mid
Section titled “cloud_cover_mid”- Unit: %
- Range: 0 to 100
- Description: Cloud coverage between 2-6km altitude
- Photography Use: Mid-level clouds create textures without blocking golden hour light.
cloud_cover_high
Section titled “cloud_cover_high”- Unit: %
- Range: 0 to 100
- Description: Cloud coverage above 6km altitude (cirrus)
- Photography Use: Thin high clouds enhance sunsets without blocking light completely.
Wind Conditions
Section titled “Wind Conditions”wind_speed_10m
Section titled “wind_speed_10m”- 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.
wind_direction_10m
Section titled “wind_direction_10m”- Unit: ° (degrees)
- Range: 0 to 360
- Description: Wind direction in degrees (0° = North)
- Photography Use: Wind direction affects cloud movement and wave patterns.
wind_gusts_10m
Section titled “wind_gusts_10m”- Unit: m/s
- Range: 0 to 80
- Description: Maximum wind gust speed
- Photography Use: Strong gusts can shake tripods. Plan for wind protection.
Precipitation
Section titled “Precipitation”precipitation
Section titled “precipitation”- 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.
showers
Section titled “showers”- Unit: mm
- Range: 0 to 100
- Description: Shower-type precipitation (brief, heavy bursts)
- Photography Use: Showers create dramatic lighting with sun breaks and rainbows.
snowfall
Section titled “snowfall”- Unit: mm
- Range: 0 to 1000
- Description: Snow precipitation amount
- Photography Use: Fresh snow transforms landscapes. Light snowfall creates magical atmosphere.
precipitation_probability
Section titled “precipitation_probability”- 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.
Light and Solar Radiation
Section titled “Light and Solar Radiation”sunshine_duration
Section titled “sunshine_duration”- 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.
shortwave_radiation
Section titled “shortwave_radiation”- Unit: W/m²
- Range: 0 to 1500
- Description: Shortwave solar radiation from sun
- Photography Use: Total solar radiation available for photography lighting.
uv_index
Section titled “uv_index”- 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.
Atmospheric Conditions
Section titled “Atmospheric Conditions”visibility
Section titled “visibility”- Unit: m (meters)
- Range: 0 to 50000
- Description: Horizontal visibility distance
- Photography Use: Reduced visibility (<5km) creates atmosphere. Clear visibility (>20km) for distant subjects.
surface_pressure
Section titled “surface_pressure”- 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.
Advanced Parameters
Section titled “Advanced Parameters”- 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.
lifted_index
Section titled “lifted_index”- 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.
freezing_level_height
Section titled “freezing_level_height”- 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.
snow_depth
Section titled “snow_depth”- Unit: m (meters)
- Range: 0 to 10
- Description: Snow depth accumulated on ground
- Photography Use: Fresh snow creates dramatic winter landscapes and clean backgrounds.
is_day
Section titled “is_day”- Description: Simple day/night boolean flag (true = day, false = night)
- Photography Use: Basic day/night filtering. For more control, use astronomical period conditions.
Advanced Conditions
Section titled “Advanced Conditions”PhotoWeather includes computed photography conditions that combine multiple weather parameters:
fog_probability
Section titled “fog_probability”- 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.
dewpoint_spread_c
Section titled “dewpoint_spread_c”- 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.
golden_hour_potential
Section titled “golden_hour_potential”- 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.
golden_clouds_potential
Section titled “golden_clouds_potential”- 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.
fiery_red_sky_potential
Section titled “fiery_red_sky_potential”- 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.
cloud_drama_score
Section titled “cloud_drama_score”- 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.
storm_intensity
Section titled “storm_intensity”- 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%.
frost_probability
Section titled “frost_probability”- 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.
Astronomical Conditions
Section titled “Astronomical Conditions”PhotoWeather includes time-based conditions for optimal lighting:
Time Period Conditions
Section titled “Time Period Conditions”- 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 Position
Section titled “Solar Position”- 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 Conditions
Section titled “Moon Conditions”- 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
Rule Examples
Section titled “Rule Examples”Fog Photography
Section titled “Fog Photography”- High fog probability (70%+)
- Very light winds (under 2 m/s)
- Reduced visibility (under 5km)
- Time window around sunrise
Golden Hour Drama
Section titled “Golden Hour Drama”- During golden hour periods
- Partial cloud cover (30-70%)
- Low precipitation chance (under 20%)
- Calm winds (under 5 m/s)
Astrophotography
Section titled “Astrophotography”- During astronomical night
- Low moon illumination (under 30%)
- Clear skies (under 20% cloud cover)
- Excellent visibility (over 20km)
Next Steps
Section titled “Next Steps”Ready to use these parameters in your rules? Continue to:
- Time Windows - Control when rules are active
- Rule Basics - Learn how to create effective rules
- Complex Conditions - Combine parameters with advanced logic