Northern Lights in Alaska Tonight

Can you see the northern lights in Alaska? Yes — Fairbanks is under the aurora’s usual path. At magnetic latitude 65.7°, NOAA’s rule puts the oval’s edge over it at Kp 0+, so any dark, clear night can bring the northern lights; Anchorage needs Kp 2+. The limit is darkness: Fairbanks has none from May to August, and 15 hours a night in mid-December.

Type where you are: the Kp your spot needs, NOAA’s forecast for your dark hours tonight and the next two nights, the moon, and which way to look.

Fairbanks, AK · magnetic latitude 65.7°

You need Kp 0+By NOAA’s rule the aurora’s edge reaches Fairbanks at Kp 0+. Loading NOAA’s forecast for tonight…

Kp you need: 0+ overhead
Look toward: north-northeast

Kp forecast: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center. Places: GeoNames.

The forecast above opens on Fairbanks, AK: type your own town, or use your location, for tonight’s answer where you are.

What Kp does Alaska need?

NOAA’s rule: “At Kp = 0, the equator ward edge of the auroral oval is approximately 66 degrees.” “And it moves equatorward about 2 degrees for each level of Kp.” That is in magnetic latitude — NOAA: “This relationship holds true in geomagnetic latitude, not geographic.” — so a town needs a Kp of (66 − its magnetic latitude) ÷ 2. In a big storm the aurora can also be seen from farther away, low on the horizon: NOAA’s storm scale says how low it “has been seen” at Kp 6 to 9.

Town	Magnetic latitude	Kp overhead	Low on the horizon	Days per 11-year cycle	Look toward
Fairbanks, AK	65.7°	0+	–	–	north-northeast
Anchorage, AK	61.9°	2+	–	–	north-northeast
Juneau, AK	61.6°	2+	–	–	north-northeast

The farther toward the magnetic pole, the lower the Kp: Fairbanks needs the least of these towns and Juneau the most. NOAA adds a warning worth keeping: “It should be noted that the relationship between Kp and auroral latitude are approximate and represent averages.”

When is it dark enough in Alaska?

NOAA: “The aurora is not visible during daylight hours.” These are the hours with the Sun 12° or more below the horizon (the end of nautical twilight) on the night after the 15th of each month. Fairbanks has none from May to August. “The best Seasons for aurora watching are around the spring and fall equinoxes.”

Month	Fairbanks	Anchorage	Juneau
January	14.2 h	13.8 h	13.5 h
February	11.7 h	11.7 h	11.7 h
March	8.7 h	9.2 h	9.3 h
April	3.8 h	5.5 h	6.2 h
May	0 h	0 h	1.7 h
June	0 h	0 h	0 h
July	0 h	0 h	0 h
August	0 h	3.7 h	5 h
September	7.2 h	7.8 h	8.3 h
October	10.7 h	10.8 h	10.8 h
November	13.7 h	13.3 h	13 h
December	15 h	14.3 h	14 h

The season, the equinoxes and the hours

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, in Fairbanks: “Here in Fairbanks, at about latitude 64.8, our aurora viewing “season” is roughly August 21 to April 21.” “This means that the statistical likelihood of seeing aurora over Interior Alaska is roughly twice as high on the equinox as it is at solstice.” “With these factors combined, aurora viewing may be best in locations with clear skies and around the spring (March) or fall (September) equinox.” “Active auroral displays tend to be more diffuse and fragmented later in the night, which means that 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. is typically the time period with higher probability of seeing spectacular auroral displays over interior Alaska in winter.” By the table above, Fairbanks has 7.2 hours of darkness a night in mid-September and 8.7 in mid-March, Juneau 8.3 and 9.3, and Fairbanks none from May to August.

Plan it

FAQ

Can you see the northern lights in Alaska?

Yes, when the Kp is high enough and the night is dark and clear. By NOAA’s rule, Fairbanks needs Kp 0+, Anchorage needs Kp 2+, Juneau needs Kp 2+. NOAA’s storm scale counts days only from Kp 5 (G1), and Fairbanks needs less; NOAA: “It should be noted that if you are in the right place under the aurora, you can see very nice auroral displays even with low geomagnetic activity (Kp = 3 or 4).”

Can I see the northern lights tonight in Alaska?

Only NOAA’s forecast for tonight can say: the tool at the top of this page reads it for Fairbanks (or your own town) and compares it with what Fairbanks needs: Kp 0+. Look north-northeast, away from city lights; NOAA: “Best aurora is usually within an hour or two of midnight (between 10 PM and 2 AM local time).”

When is the best time to see the northern lights in Alaska?

Not from May to August: Fairbanks has no night dark enough then, and NOAA: “So combining a summer vacation to the arctic with aurora watching usually doesn’t work.” Fairbanks has its longest nights in December (15 hours of darkness). NOAA adds: “The best Seasons for aurora watching are around the spring and fall equinoxes.” The University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute: “Here in Fairbanks, at about latitude 64.8, our aurora viewing “season” is roughly August 21 to April 21.” “With these factors combined, aurora viewing may be best in locations with clear skies and around the spring (March) or fall (September) equinox.”

What Kp do you need to see the northern lights in Alaska?

Fairbanks, at magnetic latitude 65.7°: Kp 0+ overhead; Anchorage, at magnetic latitude 61.9°: Kp 2+ overhead; Juneau, at magnetic latitude 61.6°: Kp 2+ overhead. The rule is NOAA’s: the oval’s edge is at about 66° magnetic latitude at Kp 0 and moves about 2° toward the equator for each level of Kp.

Can you see the northern lights in Anchorage?

Sometimes. By NOAA’s rule Anchorage needs Kp 2+. NOAA’s storm scale counts days only from Kp 5 (G1), and Anchorage needs less; NOAA: “It should be noted that if you are in the right place under the aurora, you can see very nice auroral displays even with low geomagnetic activity (Kp = 3 or 4).” Its own lights make it harder: NOAA says “Get away from city lights.”

How these numbers are made

Magnetic latitude is the dipole’s, with the pole from the IGRF-14 coefficients (NOAA NCEI / IAGA). The Kp overhead is NOAA’s rule, “low on the horizon” and the days per cycle are NOAA’s storm scale, and tonight’s Kp in the tool is NOAA’s 3-day forecast. Darkness is the Sun’s position, computed for 2026. Towns: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Rules checked 2026-09-27.