Winona is a city of about 27,094 people in Winona County, Minnesota, at 203 m (666 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:28 AM and sets at 6:16 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:36 PM – 6:34 PM. Below are monthly times, sun directions, the best photo locations within 80 km and the nearest dark skies.
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour by month
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:39 AM | 8:24 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 15m |
| February | 7:07 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 7:20 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:24 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 5:41 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:26 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 45m |
| June | 5:24 AM | 6:08 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:28 PM | 15h 28m |
| July | 5:38 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:23 PM | 15h 10m |
| August | 6:11 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 02m |
| September | 6:46 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:22 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 7:02 AM | 7:46 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 39m |
| December | 7:35 AM | 8:23 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:03 PM | 8h 54m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Winona
At Winona the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 23° in winter.
Best photo spots near Winona
39 photo locations lie within 80 km of Winona. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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State Parks
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National Wildlife Refuges
Ghost Towns
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The sky over central Winona is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Big Lake, about 80 km (50 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 5.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Lake | Lake | 80 km (50 mi) | 2 |
| Wildcat Mountain State Park | State Park | 95 km (59 mi) | 2 |
| Hamilton Falls | Waterfall | 99 km (61 mi) | 2 |
| Yellow River Fire Tower | Fire Lookout | 104 km (64 mi) | 2 |
| Kurth | Ghost Town | 108 km (67 mi) | 2 |
| Spook Cave | Cave | 116 km (72 mi) | 2 |
| Necedah National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 118 km (73 mi) | 2 |
| Driftless Area National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 125 km (77 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:00 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.7 | 14° |
| April | 2:56 AM – 4:36 AM | 1.7 | 16° |
| May | 1:01 AM – 3:31 AM | 2.5 | 17° |
| June | 11:17 PM – 2:57 AM | 3.7 | 17° |
| July | 11:03 PM – 1:33 AM | 2.5 | 17° |
| August | 10:05 PM – 11:35 PM | 1.5 | 16° |
| September | 8:58 PM – 9:28 PM | 0.5 | 13° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 47% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (71%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.