GoldCast · Cortez, CO

Sunset Tonight in Cortez


Reading tonight's sky
Sunset
Golden hour
Sky coverage
Atmosphere
Horizon clarity

GoldCast sunset forecast — LightCast Suite
LightCast
iOS App LightCast Suite
🌅 GoldCast — golden hour score & cloud forecast
🌌 StarCast — night sky & Milky Way visibility
🚁 DroneCast — wind & flight readiness
🌫️ FogCast — fog & mist forecasting
☁️ CloudCast — cloud cover & dramatic sky timing
Price $2.99 / mo
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Outlook 7-day

The app is more than the score. Get a full 7-day golden hour outlook, cloud layer timing, and a map of better light nearby. Set notification preferences so you can plan shoots days out, not just check tonight.

LightCast GoldCast forecast Better light nearby map
Frequently asked
Will the sunset be good tonight in Cortez?
The live score above pulls today's forecast and runs it through GoldCast's scoring model. Above 70 is worth going out. Below 40, stay home. The score updates daily.
What makes a good sunset in Cortez?
Cortez sits at the base of Mesa Verde on the Colorado Plateau, with wide open desert views in every direction. The mesa edge to the south creates a dramatic silhouette at dusk, and the Sleeping Ute Mountain to the southwest is one of the most distinctive landmark profiles in the Four Corners region. The flat Montezuma Valley gives an unobstructed western horizon and big sky. This is Ancestral Puebloan country and the landscape has a deep, layered quality that photographs powerfully in warm light.
What time is sunset in Cortez tonight?
Cortez sunset ranges from around 4:50 PM in December to 8:20 PM in June. Tonight's exact time is shown in the score card above, updated daily from live weather data.


What makes a good sunset?

GoldCast scores six atmospheric variables weighted by how much each one actually affects the light. A clear sky isn't always best.

High Cloud
20–80%
Cirrus clouds scatter warm light across the sky. Too little means a bare sky. Too much blocks everything.
Humidity
Under 50%
Low humidity keeps colors vivid and punchy. Above 80% produces milky, washed-out tones.
Horizon Cloud
Clear
Low cloud at the horizon blocks the sun at peak warmth. A small gap makes all the difference.
Post-Storm
Best skies
Rain clears the air and leaves textured cloud at altitude. Often the most dramatic light of the year.

Score guide
75–100
Epic
Rare. Multiple factors aligned. Don't miss it.
55–74
Great
Strong showing expected. Go if you can.
35–54
Decent
Modest but workable. Worth a short trip.
0–34
Flat
Uninspiring sky expected. Save your time.

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