Horsetail Fall “firefall”
On rare evenings in mid to late February, when the fall is flowing and the sky is clear, sunset lights it orange.
Timing · light · viewpoints
Go when the view is at its best.
Month-by-month weather, sunrise and golden-hour times, aurora forecasts, and where to stand at famous viewpoints. Every answer comes from a tool, with its source.
Golden hour today
ExampleTunnel View, Yosemite
Turn on JavaScript to see today’s golden hour, or open the calculator.
The tools
Five tools for timing a trip
When to GoBest-month finderRain, sun, heat and daylight by month, for each destination.Nature CalendarWhat's in seasonBlooms, fall colors, wildlife and festivals, month by month.Sky & LightSunrise, sunset and golden hourGolden and blue hour, the sun's direction and the aurora forecast.ViewpointsLight plannerWhere you face, where the sun is, and when the light is right.Travel KitBag fit checkerCarry-on and personal-item sizes, airline by airline.
Nature Calendar
In season now: this month
Humpback whales
In Hawaiian waters from November through April, seen from shore and at sea; peak season is January to March.
Cherry blossoms, Washington DC
Peak bloom is most likely between the last week of March and the first week of April; it has come as early as March 15 and as late as April 18.
Cherry blossoms, Japan
From the second half of March to as late as early May, moving north. In Tokyo the first flowers open around March 24 on average.
Fall colors, Great Smoky Mountains
Above 4,000 ft from early to mid-October; lower down from mid-October to early November. The park calls the last three weeks of October the best time.
Fall foliage, Vermont
Colors usually reach their best in the last week of September and the first or second week of October, starting in the north and the hills.
Synchronous fireflies
Two to three weeks between late May and mid-June; since 1993 the peak has fallen between the third week of May and the third week of June.
Desert wildflowers
Usually in full bloom from late February or early March; how good a year is depends on the winter rain.
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
Nine days in the first week of October: October 2–10 in 2027.
Keukenhof tulip gardens
Open March 18 to May 9 in 2027. Crocuses, daffodils and hyacinths come first, the larger tulips later.
Green turtles nesting
The green turtle nesting season runs from June through November.
Northern lights season
At Fairbanks the sun sinks 12° or more below the horizon every night from mid-August to late April; from late April to mid-August the nights never get properly dark.
Quadrantid meteors
Active December 28, 2026 to January 12, 2027; the peak night is January 3–4, and the best of it lasts only about 6 hours.
Lyrid meteors
Active April 14–30, 2027; the peak night is April 21–22.
Perseid meteors
Active July 17 to August 24, 2027, with a strong peak on August 12–13.
Orionid meteors
Active October 2 to November 7, 2026; the peak night is October 21–22.
Leonid meteors
Active November 6–30, 2026; the peak night is November 16–17.
Geminid meteors
Active December 4–17, 2026; the peak night is December 13–14.
Total solar eclipse
On August 2, 2027 the Moon covers the Sun along a narrow path; totality lasts up to 6 min 23 s, the longest in Egypt.
Drawn to scale from Wikidata coordinates. The sun is shown where it sets in late October.
Viewpoint · Yosemite National Park
Tunnel View: keep the sun at your back
The overlook faces east-northeast up the valley: El Capitan on the left, Bridalveil Fall on the right, Half Dome 8 miles away between them. Come in the afternoon, when the sun swings behind you and lights the valley walls.
75°Your view to Half Dome
AfternoonThe sun moves behind you after about 2:20 pm in mid-October
Oct 25 · Feb 16The sun sets straight behind you
When to Go
The best months, from the climate records
Costa Rica · Pacific north
Guanacaste gets almost no rain from December to April, and February has the clearest skies (23% cloud cover). The rains run from May to November, with a short lull in July.
BestFairWet
Costa Rica month by monthAverage rain per month, inches, around Liberia. NASA POWER climate averages, 2001–2025.
Sky & Light · aurora this week
Northern lights: NOAA’s 3-day forecast
The planetary Kp index in 3-hour blocks, live from NOAA. The higher the Kp, the farther south the aurora reaches; storms start at Kp 5.
Loading NOAA’s forecast…
QuietActive (Kp 4)Storm (G1 or more)
Coming up in the sky
- Oct 21–22Orionid meteors peak
- Nov 16–17Leonid meteors peak
- Dec 13–14Geminid meteors peak
- Jan 3–4 2027Quadrantid meteors peak
- Apr 21–22 2027Lyrid meteors peak
- Aug 2 2027Total solar eclipse: up to 6 min 23 s of totality, longest in Egypt
- Aug 12–13 2027Perseid meteors peak
Travel Kit
Will my bag fit?
Enter your bag’s size to see, airline by airline, whether it flies as a carry-on or a personal item. Limits come from each airline’s own page.
My trips
Save a trip, and every tool fills in
Your places and dates stay on this device. We add the light, the weather and what’s in season for your days.
YosemiteFeb 14–16, 2027 · example
Horsetail Fall “firefall”Mid to late Feb, clear evenings
Golden hour, Tunnel View, Feb 155:01 – 5:54 pm
Sun sets straight behind youFeb 16, 5:39 pm
Where our numbers come from
NOAA climate normalsStation highs, lows and rain, 1991–2020.
NASA POWERCloud cover and rain for any place.
NOAA Space Weather Prediction CenterAurora forecasts and the Kp index.
Sun and moonWorked out in your browser with NOAA’s solar equations.
National Park ServicePark rules, reservations and seasonal events.
Airlines’ own pagesBag sizes, checked again every month.