Automation never triggers when using offset after dawn

[namtabmai]

The problem

I have an automation setup that I want to trigger 2 hours after dawn

When I use developer tools, the current value for now() is correct and before dawn the sensor.sun_next_dawn is also correct.

But the automation never triggers, no traces or anything. Manually triggering the automation, the actions run as expected.

When I check developers tools when the automation should have triggered, the sensor.sun_next_dawn shows the date for tomorrows dawn. Which I understand why, but makes me wonder how a positive offset is support to work with the sun_next_dawn sensor.

What version of Home Assistant Core has the issue?

core-2025.10.3

What was the last working version of Home Assistant Core?

No response

What type of installation are you running?

Home Assistant Container

Integration causing the issue

sun

Link to integration documentation on our website

https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/sun/

Diagnostics information

No response

Example YAML snippet

alias: Turn off hallway lights after dawn
description: ""
triggers:
  - trigger: time
    at:
      entity_id: sensor.sun_next_dawn
      offset: "02:00"
conditions: []
actions:
  - action: light.turn_off
    metadata: {}
    data: {}
    target:
      area_id:
        - downstairs_hallway
        - upstairs_hallway
mode: single

Anything in the logs that might be useful for us?

Additional information

No response

[home-assistant]

Hey there @home-assistant/core, mind taking a look at this issue as it has been labeled with an integration (sun) you are listed as a code owner for? Thanks!

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[karwosts]

As soon as dawn occurs, the sun_next_dawn timestamp advances to the next day, and so that time +2 hours moves to the future as well.

So "two hours after that timestamp sensor" is always in the future and it never triggers.

You would need to use a sun trigger instead of a time trigger to get behavior like you're expecting.

[namtabmai]

Well yes, like I said in the original comment that is what I was assuming but the didn't find it clear in the documentation that those other sensors only work with negative offsets.

Anyway, switched to the third party sun2 integration that provides a "dawn" sensor that does the job.

[D661]

I think you missed karwosts comment about using a sun trigger instead of a time trigger. It will work the way you want if you use this trigger:

triggers:
  - trigger: sun
    event: sunrise
    offset: "2:00:00"

[vartom]

I think you missed karwosts comment about using a sun trigger instead of a time trigger. It will work the way you want if you use this trigger:

triggers:

• trigger: sun
  event: sunrise
  offset: "2:00:00"

It's also not working.

[D661]

It's also not working.

That's surprising. I tried it before posting my previous comment, and it worked properly for me. No idea why it wouldn't work for you.

[vartom]

I use core-2025.12.4. I encountered this problem and started looking for an issue or a solution.