Picking your night
Two things decide a Mauna Kea night: clouds and the moon. The clouds are knowable about a week out. The moon you can plan a trip around.
Next 7 nights
- TonightOct 2555% clear sky · 48°F, feels 39°100%Fair
- MonOct 2639% clear sky · 48°F, feels 42°98%Fair
- TueOct 2716% clear sky · 47°F, feels 39°93%Poor
- WedOct 2816% clear sky · 47°F, feels 40°86%Poor
- ThuOct 2924% clear sky · 47°F, feels 38°77%Poor
- FriOct 3030% clear sky · 46°F, feels 38°66%Poor
- SatOct 3129% clear sky · 46°F, feels 39°55%Poor
Sky cover is the NWS forecast averaged over the truly dark hours of each night, over the Visitor Station at 9,200 ft. Temperature is that night's average once it is properly dark, and what the wind does to it. The far end of the week thins out; a blank row means the forecast does not reach that far yet, not that the night is bad.
The darkest nights ahead
No cloud forecast reaches this far, and none needs to. This is the moon, which is settled centuries ahead. If you are choosing which night of a trip to drive up, choose from here first and check the clouds when you get closer.
| Night | Moon | Moonless dark |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, November 10 | 4% | 10.2 hr |
| Monday, November 9 | 1% | 10.2 hr |
| Sunday, November 8 | 0% | 10.2 hr |
| Saturday, November 7 | 1% | 10.2 hr |
| Friday, November 6 | 4% | 10.1 hr |
Ranked by hours of astronomical dark with the moon below the horizon, across the next 30 nights. That is not the same as the lowest moon: a 30% crescent that sets early leaves more usable dark than a thin one that hangs about until dawn.
The moon calendar
Around the new moon the summit sky is at its absolute darkest, and the Milky Way core is the show. Around the full moon, the landscape glows and the faint stuff is gone; still a beautiful drive, just a different one.
- Next new moon: Nov 8, 2026. The darkest week of the month runs a few nights either side of it.
- Next full moon: Nov 24, 2026.
Tonight, hour by hour
Booked on a good night? Tour vs driving yourself, compared
Sky cover, temperature and wind: National Weather Service. Moon phases, twilight and dark hours computed by this site.