Film production in Tucson
Between June and December, usable daylight in Tucson moves by 4h 12min — from 14h 15min down to 10h 03min. An exterior day in December is a different day from one in June. This page carries sunrise, sunset and golden-hour times for all twelve months, the climate profile.
Light and shooting hours
On 15 June, the sun in Tucson rises at 05:18 and sets at 19:33; the evening golden hour starts at 18:57 and runs for 36 minutes. By December that shifts to 07:18–17:21, with a 37-minute golden-hour window from 16:44.
In practice, a spread of 4h 12min means a schedule that works here in summer does not work in winter at the same location — with the same setup count, the hours simply are not there.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight | Golden hour (evening, from) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 07:26 | 17:42 | 10h 16min | 17:06 |
| February | 07:07 | 18:11 | 11h 03min | 17:37 |
| March | 06:35 | 18:32 | 11h 57min | 18:00 |
| April | 05:55 | 18:54 | 12h 58min | 18:21 |
| May | 05:27 | 19:15 | 13h 48min | 18:41 |
| June | 05:18 | 19:33 | 14h 15min | 18:57 |
| July | 05:29 | 19:32 | 14h 04min | 18:57 |
| August | 05:49 | 19:10 | 13h 21min | 18:36 |
| September | 06:09 | 18:31 | 12h 23min | 17:59 |
| October | 06:28 | 17:53 | 11h 24min | 17:19 |
| November | 06:54 | 17:25 | 10h 31min | 16:50 |
| December | 07:18 | 17:21 | 10h 03min | 16:44 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Tucson starts at 19:50 in June and ends at 20:01 — a window of 11 minutes. In December it is 10 minutes from 17:38. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (18:32) and September (18:31) there are 1 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
Tucson averages 9 rain days in July and 1 in April. A three-day exterior shoot in July statistically loses 0.9 days — not a forecast, but the basis for deciding whether a cover set belongs in the budget.
| Month | Mean temperature | Rain days | Sunshine hours/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 10.7 °C | 5 | 8.9 |
| February | 12.9 °C | 4 | 9.7 |
| March | 16.6 °C | 4 | 10.6 |
| April | 21.5 °C | 1 | 12.4 |
| May | 25.3 °C | 1 | 12.9 |
| June | 31.3 °C | 2 | 12.9 |
| July | 31.6 °C | 9 | 11.7 |
| August | 30.5 °C | 7 | 11.8 |
| September | 28.3 °C | 5 | 11.3 |
| October | 23.3 °C | 3 | 10.7 |
| November | 16.6 °C | 2 | 9.5 |
| December | 11.8 °C | 4 | 8.6 |
Planning a shoot here
A schedule that ignores these numbers looks fine on paper and falls over on the day. TillyGen folds sun position, travel and crew availability straight into the schedule — if the exterior no longer fits before sunset in December, the plan says so, not the wrap report.
Frequently asked
When is golden hour in Tucson?
In June it starts at 18:57 and lasts 36 minutes; in December it starts at 16:44 and lasts 37 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Tucson get?
Between 10h 03min in December and 14h 15min in June. The 4h 12min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Tucson?
Combining daylight and rain days, May comes out ahead: plenty of usable light with comparatively few rain days. June has the longest days but not necessarily the steadiest weather.