Most weather apps tell you it'll be "partly cloudy" and leave you to guess. That's not useful when you're deciding whether to drive somewhere. GoldCast by LightCast fills that gap.
Sunset quality comes down to a handful of specific conditions — the altitude of the cloud cover, how much of the horizon is blocked, humidity, and visibility. They all have to line up. A perfectly clear sky actually produces a flat, unremarkable sunset. What you want is high, thin cloud structure in the west with a clear horizon and dry air. That combination is what turns a sky orange.
The score above pulls live forecast data for your location and up to 100 miles around it, weighs all of those factors, and gives you a single number. A 75+ is worth heading out. Below 45 and the sky probably won't deliver. If your local score is mediocre but somewhere 40 miles away is scoring significantly higher (different air mass, different cloud cover) that's the kind of information that makes the drive decision easy.
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Frequently Asked Questions
After you search a city, LightCast generates candidate points in all directions up to 100 miles away and fetches live weather data for all of them in a single request. Each location gets a sky quality score (0–100) based on cloud layers, humidity, visibility, and precipitation. The results are ranked so you can see at a glance whether a short drive is worth it tonight.
The biggest factor is cloud cover composition. High, thin cirrus clouds scatter light into vivid oranges and pinks at golden hour — but thick low clouds block the sun entirely. Local humidity, visibility, and whether rain is falling nearby all matter too. A location 40–60 miles away can sit under completely different conditions, especially near coastlines, mountain ranges, or lake effects. Read: The science behind golden hour →
Weather patterns often diverge significantly within 30–60 miles. If your local score is below 50 and a nearby location is scoring 70+, that's a meaningful difference worth the drive — assuming the location has good western horizon access. Under an hour of driving for a potential 80+ score is almost always worth it for serious photographers. LightCast shows you the score gap so you can make that judgment call for yourself.
LightCast scores sunsets from 0–100. 80–100 is exceptional — vivid colors almost guaranteed. 65–79 is good, worth heading out. 45–64 is fair, may produce some color. Below 45 is generally not worth a dedicated shoot, though surprising sunsets do occasionally happen. The score factors in all hourly cloud layers, humidity, wind, visibility, and precipitation probability around sunset time.
Scores use live Open-Meteo forecast data drawn from national weather models updated multiple times per day. Same-day accuracy is generally high. Results are cached locally for the day so repeated searches are instant. For the most reliable forecast, check within a few hours of sunset. Open Goldcast for a full hourly breakdown →