GoldCast · Santa Monica, CA

Sunset Tonight in Santa Monica


Reading tonight's sky
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/ 100
Get notified before good nights →
Sunset
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Golden hour
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What's in the score
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
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What GoldCast shows you

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.

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Frequently asked
Will the sunset be good tonight in Santa Monica?
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 Santa Monica?
Santa Monica faces the Pacific directly west, with the iconic pier and Ferris wheel silhouetted against the evening sky. Palisades Park on the bluff above PCH offers an elevated vantage with the coastline curving north toward Malibu. Late autumn and early spring are the best seasons: the marine layer clears by afternoon more reliably and the air is sharp. When the marine layer sits just above the horizon, it can produce some of the most dramatic diffused light on the coast.
What time is sunset in Santa Monica tonight?
Santa Monica sunset ranges from around 4:45 PM in December to 8:10 PM in June. Tonight's exact time is shown in the score card above, updated daily from live weather data.
Sunset tonight in other locations
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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