Live aurora forecast
Northern lights in Alaska tonight and this season
Live aurora odds for 2 places in Alaska, the Kp each one needs, the season, and the guided tours that pass the catalogue filter. Data: NOAA SWPC, refreshed every 15 minutes.
In short
Northern lights in Alaska need Kp 1 or more at Fairbanks, the best placed of the 2 spots on this page by geomagnetic latitude (65.7°). The aurora season in Alaska runs from late August to mid April, when nights are long enough, and the darkest months are November to February. The probability over each place right now comes from the NOAA OVATION model and refreshes every 15 minutes, with the time of the last fetch shown under each figure.
Key points
- Kp needed: 1 at Fairbanks, up to 3 at Anchorage, by geomagnetic latitude
- 2 places in Alaska with a live OVATION probability on this page
- Aurora probability over Fairbanks refreshes every 15 minutes with the fetch time shown
- 27 guided tours pass the filter of 4.3 stars, 20 reviews and an aurora title
- Kp forecast for the next 3 days in 3-hour slots, from NOAA SWPC
On this page
1Aurora over Fairbanks right now
Data: NOAA SWPC, fetched 09:11 UTC. Aurora probability by destination from the NOAA OVATION model, forecast for 9 Oct, 10:15 UTC. Aurora also needs a dark and clear sky. Kp needed: NOAA puts the edge of the auroral oval at about 66° geomagnetic latitude for Kp 0, 2° closer to the equator per Kp level. Geomagnetic latitude from the WMM2025 dipole pole (NOAA NCEI).
2Why Alaska for the northern lights
Fairbanks is the aurora capital of the United States: it sits under the oval, the interior climate is dry and cold with many clear nights, and the local season runs from 21 August to 21 April. Anchorage, three hundred miles south on the coast, needs Kp 3 and has more cloud. Most tours on this page leave from Fairbanks.
Data: NOAA SWPC, fetched 09:11 UTC. Aurora probability by destination from the NOAA OVATION model, forecast for 9 Oct, 10:15 UTC. Aurora also needs a dark and clear sky. Kp needed: NOAA puts the edge of the auroral oval at about 66° geomagnetic latitude for Kp 0, 2° closer to the equator per Kp level. Geomagnetic latitude from the WMM2025 dipole pole (NOAA NCEI).
3The Kp each place in Alaska needs
The table ranks the places in Alaska by geomagnetic latitude, which is what decides how strong a storm has to be before the auroral oval reaches them. NOAA puts the edge of the oval at about 66 degrees geomagnetic for Kp 0 and moves it 2 degrees toward the equator per Kp level. The full method, including why the figure is conservative, is on the data and method page.
4Kp forecast for the next 3 days
| UTC | Fri 9 Oct | Sat 10 Oct | Sun 11 Oct | Mon 12 Oct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00-03 | 4.00 | 4.67 G1 | 3.00 | |
| 03-06 | 3.67 | 5.67 G2 | ||
| 06-09 | 3.00 | 4.33 | ||
| 09-12 | 3.67 | 3.00 | 3.00 | |
| 12-15 | 4.67 G1 | 1.67 | 2.67 | |
| 15-18 | 5.00 G1 | 2.33 | 2.33 | |
| 18-21 | 6.00 G2 | 2.67 | 2.00 | |
| 21-00 | 5.67 G2 | 2.67 | 2.67 |
Data: NOAA SWPC. Slots before now are NOAA estimates, the rest are predicted values.
5When to see the northern lights in Alaska
The aurora season in Alaska runs from late August to mid April, when nights are long enough, and the darkest months are November to February.
6Northern lights tours in Alaska
27 guided aurora tours in Alaska pass the catalogue filter of at least 4.3 stars, 20 reviews and a title that names the aurora, from 99 USD per person. The cards below show the most reviewed ones per place, and the Alaska tours page lists them all with prices, duration and reviews.
Northern lights tours from Fairbanks 24
Northern Lights & Chena Hot Springs Tour4.6 · 1,350 reviews · 10 hfrom 275 USD
Northern Lights & Arctic Circle Tour4.6 · 990 reviews · 12 hfrom 363 USD
SkyChase™ | Northern Lights Experience - Free Photography & More4.8 · 801 reviews · 5 hfrom 335 USD
Northern Lights - Aurora with FREE Photos - Arctic Night Tours4.9 · 566 reviews · 8 hfrom 225 USDNorthern lights tours from Anchorage 3
| Place | Latitude | Geomagnetic latitude | Kp needed | Tours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairbanks | 64.8° N | 65.7° | 1 | 24 |
| Anchorage | 61.2° N | 61.9° | 3 | 3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI, World Magnetic Model 2025, geomagnetic pole, checked on 9 Oct 2026.
Latest northern lights posts
Frequently asked questions
Can you see the northern lights in Alaska?
Yes, when the Kp index reaches the level a place needs and the sky is dark and clear. Fairbanks needs Kp 1 or more by the NOAA rule used on this site, and Anchorage needs Kp 3. The live probability for each place in Alaska is on this page and refreshes every 15 minutes.
What Kp index do you need for the northern lights in Alaska?
Between Kp 1 and Kp 3 depending on the place. The figure comes from geomagnetic latitude: NOAA puts the edge of the auroral oval at about 66 degrees for Kp 0 and moves it 2 degrees toward the equator per Kp level, and it is conservative, because NOAA also notes that aurora is often visible hundreds of kilometres equatorward of that edge. The data and method page explains the calculation and its limits.
When is the best time to see the northern lights in Alaska?
The aurora season in Alaska runs from late August to mid April, when nights are long enough, and the darkest months are November to February. Clear, dark nights matter as much as the Kp, so the cloud forecast for the dates decides the real view.
Which place in Alaska has the best aurora odds tonight?
The cards on this page rank the 2 places in Alaska by the NOAA OVATION probability for the current forecast hour. Fairbanks has the lowest Kp requirement, so it leads on quiet nights, but local cloud decides what is actually seen.
Are there guided northern lights tours in Alaska?
Yes. 27 tours pass the catalogue filter of at least 4.3 stars, 20 reviews and an aurora title: 24 in Fairbanks and 3 in Anchorage, from 99 USD per person. They are listed on this page by place and in full on the Alaska tours page, with prices, duration and reviews.
Does Alaska have polar night or midnight sun?
No. The places in Alaska on this page lie outside the polar circles, so every night of the aurora season has real darkness, and the limiting factor is the Kp index rather than daylight.
Sources (4)
Sources
- NOAA SWPC, tips on viewing the aurora, checked on 9 Oct 2026
- NOAA NCEI, World Magnetic Model 2025, geomagnetic pole, checked on 9 Oct 2026
- NOAA SWPC, OVATION aurora forecast model, checked on 9 Oct 2026
- Viator Partner API, catalogue and operator listings, checked on 9 Oct 2026
Written and maintained by the Kp Forecast editorial team. Independent site, not a space weather agency. Data: NOAA SWPC.
Plan
Read next
Locations
Thirty-three destinations from Svalbard to the Falkland Islands, grouped by country. Every card shows the aurora probability from the NOAA OVATION …
Open →Tours
A guide drives to where the clouds open and knows the dark spots, which usually beats waiting in town. The tours on this site pass a fixed filter, …
Open →Data and method
This site is an independent information service about the northern lights. It is not a space weather agency and does not belong to any public …
Open →