Planning Your Shot
A quick read on tonight's sunset, tomorrow's sunrise, the current dark-sky window for the Milky Way, and where fall color and wildflowers stand right now — all in one place, so you can decide where to point the alarm clock.
Check Any Colorado Location
Not one of the spots below? Type a town, trailhead, or landmark and get the same sunset/sunrise read for it.
Sunset & Sunrise Forecast
41 spots across Colorado, or type any location above. The pattern that actually makes color: a clear horizon so light can reach the underside of some cloud higher up. Total overcast blocks it, totally clear skies just give flat light. This is a rule-of-thumb estimate from cloud-cover data, not a guarantee — always double check conditions before you drive out. Temperature, wind (with direction), and precipitation chance are also shown for each spot, straight from the same forecast. Golden and blue hour length are estimated from that day's twilight duration, not a full sun-position calculation, so treat the minutes as approximate. Smoke/haze only shows up as a note when it's actually elevated enough to affect a shot.
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Cloud cover is heavy or unevenly placed — a toss-up.
58°F · 23 mph wind (WSW) · 12% chance of precip
~43 min golden hour · ~26 min blue hour
Clear horizon with some high cloud overhead — good odds of real color.
48°F · 23 mph wind (W) · 20% chance of precip
~43 min golden hour · ~26 min blue hour
Cloud cover is heavy or unevenly placed — a toss-up.
77°F · 14 mph wind (S) · 5% chance of precip
~42 min golden hour · ~25 min blue hour
Mostly clear near the horizon with some cloud to catch light.
64°F · 8 mph wind (E) · 1% chance of precip
~42 min golden hour · ~25 min blue hour
Cloud cover is heavy or unevenly placed — a toss-up.
87°F · 14 mph wind (WSW) · 6% chance of precip
~43 min golden hour · ~26 min blue hour
Cloud cover is heavy or unevenly placed — a toss-up.
70°F · 6 mph wind (SSE) · 1% chance of precip
~43 min golden hour · ~26 min blue hour
Forecast temporarily unavailable for this spot.
Forecast temporarily unavailable for this spot.
Cloud cover is heavy or unevenly placed — a toss-up.
84°F · 15 mph wind (WSW) · 7% chance of precip
~43 min golden hour · ~26 min blue hour
Cloud cover is heavy or unevenly placed — a toss-up.
67°F · 5 mph wind (SSE) · 1% chance of precip
~43 min golden hour · ~26 min blue hour
Forecast temporarily unavailable for this spot.
Mostly clear near the horizon with some cloud to catch light.
56°F · 5 mph wind (ESE) · 22% chance of precip
~42 min golden hour · ~25 min blue hour
Low clouds likely block the horizon — the sun may not break through.
49°F · 8 mph wind (NNW) · 60% chance of precip
~42 min golden hour · ~25 min blue hour
Forecast temporarily unavailable for this spot.
Forecast temporarily unavailable for this spot.
Cloud cover is heavy or unevenly placed — a toss-up.
45°F · 20 mph wind (SSW) · 24% chance of precip
~43 min golden hour · ~26 min blue hour
Low clouds likely block the horizon — the sun may not break through.
40°F · 32 mph wind (W) · 31% chance of precip
~43 min golden hour · ~26 min blue hour
Forecast temporarily unavailable for this spot.
Cloud cover is heavy or unevenly placed — a toss-up.
87°F · 15 mph wind (W) · 6% chance of precip
~43 min golden hour · ~26 min blue hour
Cloud cover is heavy or unevenly placed — a toss-up.
71°F · 7 mph wind (SSE) · 1% chance of precip
~43 min golden hour · ~26 min blue hour
Forecast temporarily unavailable for this spot.
Cloud cover is heavy or unevenly placed — a toss-up.
57°F · 9 mph wind (E) · 29% chance of precip
~43 min golden hour · ~26 min blue hour
Low clouds likely block the horizon — the sun may not break through.
51°F · 11 mph wind (NNW) · 21% chance of precip
~43 min golden hour · ~26 min blue hour
Forecast temporarily unavailable for this spot.
Cloud cover is heavy or unevenly placed — a toss-up.
55°F · 14 mph wind (NNW) · 26% chance of precip
~43 min golden hour · ~26 min blue hour
Cloud cover is heavy or unevenly placed — a toss-up.
52°F · 19 mph wind (W) · 2% chance of precip
~43 min golden hour · ~26 min blue hour
Forecast temporarily unavailable for this spot.
Clear horizon with some high cloud overhead — good odds of real color.
65°F · 7 mph wind (SE) · 15% chance of precip
~42 min golden hour · ~25 min blue hour
Mostly clear near the horizon with some cloud to catch light.
53°F · 6 mph wind (SE) · 5% chance of precip
~42 min golden hour · ~25 min blue hour
Forecast temporarily unavailable for this spot.
Forecast temporarily unavailable for this spot.
Forecast temporarily unavailable for this spot.
Forecast temporarily unavailable for this spot.
Forecast temporarily unavailable for this spot.
Forecast temporarily unavailable for this spot.
Forecast temporarily unavailable for this spot.
Forecast temporarily unavailable for this spot.
Forecast temporarily unavailable for this spot.
Forecast temporarily unavailable for this spot.
Forecast temporarily unavailable for this spot.
Forecast temporarily unavailable for this spot.
Forecast temporarily unavailable for this spot.
Forecast temporarily unavailable for this spot.
Forecast temporarily unavailable for this spot.
Forecast temporarily unavailable for this spot.
Forecast temporarily unavailable for this spot.
Cloud cover is heavy or unevenly placed — a toss-up.
40°F · 9 mph wind (WSW) · 32% chance of precip
Cloud cover is heavy or unevenly placed — a toss-up.
34°F · 23 mph wind (WSW) · 8% chance of precip
Forecast temporarily unavailable for this spot.
Forecast temporarily unavailable for this spot.
Forecast temporarily unavailable for this spot.
Forecast temporarily unavailable for this spot.
Milky Way, Dark Sky & Aurora
Under about 25% moon illumination, moonlight is dim enough that it won't wash out the Milky Way's core. Phase is calculated directly, not pulled from a live feed, so it's exact regardless of weather — and it applies the same everywhere in Colorado, including any location you search above. Aurora is a much longer shot here — Colorado sits well south of where the northern lights are normally visible, so even a "High" reading below means a real geomagnetic storm is forecast, not a sure thing. That reading comes from NOAA's live space weather forecast.
Aurora forecast is temporarily unavailable.
Next dark-sky window: Sep 13–Sep 16. Good spots to point a wide-angle lens: Loveland Pass, Pawnee National Grassland, or anywhere well away from Front Range light pollution.
| Date | Phase | Illumination | Astro? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 13 | Waxing Crescent | 2% | Yes |
| Sep 14 | Waxing Crescent | 6% | Yes |
| Sep 15 | Waxing Crescent | 13% | Yes |
| Sep 16 | Waxing Crescent | 20% | Yes |
| Sep 17 | Waxing Crescent | 30% | — |
| Sep 18 | Waxing Crescent | 40% | — |
| Sep 19 | First Quarter | 50% | — |
Upcoming Meteor Showers
Peak dates for annual showers are well established and don't drift year to year, unlike aspen color or wildflowers — the moon note below is the part worth checking before you plan around one.
Moon that night: 73% illuminated — A bright moon that night will wash out all but the brightest meteors.
Moon that night: 25% illuminated — Some moonlight that night, but fainter meteors may still show.
Moon that night: 5% illuminated — Dark skies that night — good conditions to actually see it.
Aspen Peak-Color Tracker
Based on typical historical peak windows for each spot — real conditions shift with the weather, so treat this as a starting point rather than a live feed.
Peak should start within the next week.
Peak should start within the next week.
Peak should start within the next week.
Peak should start within the next week.
Peak usually runs 09-22 to 10-02.
Peak should start within the next week.
Peak usually runs 09-25 to 10-05.
Peak should start within the next week.
Peak usually runs 09-22 to 10-02.
Peak should start within the next week.
Peak should start within the next week.
Peak should start within the next week.
Peak should start within the next week.
Peak should start within the next week.
Peak usually runs 09-22 to 10-02.
Peak usually runs 09-24 to 10-04.
Peak should start within the next week.
Peak should start within the next week.
Peak usually runs 09-24 to 10-04.
Peak usually runs 09-22 to 10-02.
Peak usually runs 09-25 to 10-05.
Peak should start within the next week.
Peak should start within the next week.
Peak usually runs 09-28 to 10-08.
Peak should start within the next week.
Peak should start within the next week.
Peak should start within the next week.
Peak should start within the next week.
Peak usually runs 09-25 to 10-05.
Peak should start within the next week.
Peak usually runs 09-22 to 10-02.
Wildflower Bloom Tracker
Bloom season moves with elevation — lower meadows go first, alpine tundra weeks later — so this varies more spot to spot than aspen color does. Historical windows again, not a live feed.
Typical peak is 07-05 to 07-25. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-10 to 07-30. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-05 to 07-25. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-10 to 08-01. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-15 to 08-05. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-10 to 07-30. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-08 to 07-28. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-10 to 07-30. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-10 to 07-30. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-10 to 07-30. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-15 to 08-05. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-08 to 07-28. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-10 to 07-30. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-10 to 07-30. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-15 to 08-05. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-08 to 07-28. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-05 to 07-25. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-12 to 08-01. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-12 to 08-01. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-05 to 07-25. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-10 to 07-30. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-15 to 08-05. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-18 to 08-08. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-10 to 07-30. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-01 to 07-20. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-15 to 08-05. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-10 to 07-30. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-15 to 08-05. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-15 to 08-05. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 06-10 to 06-30. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-20 to 08-10. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-15 to 08-05. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-10 to 07-30. Check back closer to summer.