Live aurora forecast
Northern lights in Yellowknife tonight and this season
Aurora probability over Yellowknife right now from NOAA, the Kp index the city needs by geomagnetic latitude, the nights that get dark enough, calculated from the sun, and the 8 guided tours that pass the catalogue filter.
In short
Northern lights in Yellowknife do not wait for a storm: the city sits at 68.5° N geomagnetic latitude, inside the auroral oval already at Kp 0, where NOAA's rule of thumb puts the oval's equatorward edge at about 66°. Any Kp is enough with a dark, clear sky, and the cards on this site use Kp 1, the lowest value they show. Fully dark nights in Yellowknife (sun 18° below the horizon) run from 29 August to 14 April. 8 guided tours leave from Yellowknife with at least 4.3 stars and 20 reviews, from 65 USD. The aurora probability over the city right now, from NOAA's OVATION model, is on this page and refreshes every 15 minutes.
Key points
- Yellowknife sits inside the auroral oval already at Kp 0 (68.5° N geomagnetic): any Kp with a dark sky, Kp 1 on the cards
- Fully dark nights in Yellowknife (sun 18° below the horizon) run from 29 August to 14 April.
- Aurora probability over Yellowknife from NOAA OVATION, refreshed every 15 minutes with the fetch time shown
- 8 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, and the other places in Canada for comparison
On this page
1Aurora over Yellowknife right now
Data: NOAA SWPC, fetched 14:10 UTC. Aurora probability by destination from the NOAA OVATION model, forecast for 9 Oct, 15:10 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).
2The Kp index Yellowknife needs
Yellowknife lies at 62.5° N, which is 68.5° N geomagnetic latitude on the WMM2025 dipole. NOAA's viewing tips put the edge of the auroral oval at about 66° geomagnetic for Kp 0 and move it about 2° closer to the equator with each Kp level, down to 48° at Kp 9. At 68.5° N Yellowknife is inside the oval before any storm begins, so the cards on this site use Kp 1, the lowest value they show. NOAA also notes that aurora can often be observed hundreds of kilometres equatorward of the oval's edge, so a bright display can show low on the northern horizon one Kp level earlier.
3Kp 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 | 3.00 | 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.
4When the sky over Yellowknife is dark enough
The aurora needs a dark sky as much as it needs Kp, and darkness is a matter of latitude and date. Fully dark nights in Yellowknife (sun 18° below the horizon) run from 29 August to 14 April. From 3 May to 9 August the sky never gets darker than nautical twilight, so only a strong display shows, low on the horizon. Dates are an own calculation from the sun's declination for the latitude of Yellowknife, with the US Naval Observatory definitions of twilight, and can be a day off at the edges. Clouds and moonlight are the other half of the question: the home page shows the moon phase for each of the next 27 days.
5Why Canada for the northern lights
Canada has three different aurora bases. Yellowknife on Great Slave Lake is flat, dry and directly under the oval, which is why it markets itself as the aurora capital of North America. Whitehorse in the Yukon is milder and easier to reach from Vancouver, and Churchill on Hudson Bay combines the lights with polar bears in autumn and a February to March aurora season.
6Yellowknife compared with the other places in Canada
The table ranks the 3 places in Canada on this site by the Kp they need. Yellowknife and Churchill share the lowest figure, Kp 1.
| Place | Latitude | Geomagnetic | Kp needed | Tours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellowknife | 62.5° N | 68.5° N | 1 | 8 |
| Churchill | 58.8° N | 67.1° N | 1 | 0 |
| Whitehorse | 60.7° N | 63.8° N | 2 | 3 |
7Northern lights tours in Yellowknife
8 guided tours from Yellowknife pass the catalogue filter (at least 4.3 stars, 20 reviews and the aurora in the title), from 65 USD per person. Prices are starting prices read from the booking catalogue and change with the date. All tours in the country.
Northern Lights Tour Yellowknife4.8 · 428 reviews · 4 hfrom 68 USD
Aurora Hunting Tours4.8 · 407 reviews · 4 hfrom 128 USD
Northern Lights Tours4.4 · 330 reviews · 4 hfrom 65 USD
Intimate Aurora Tours Cozy Cabin Bucket List4.9 · 297 reviews · 4 hfrom 102 USD
Yellowknife Tours - Aurora by bus4.9 · 148 reviews · 4 hfrom 98 USD
Yellowknife: Aurora Chasing + Aurora Lodge4.6 · 143 reviews · 4 hfrom 98 USD| Fact | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Coordinates | 62.5° N, 114.4° W | site destination list |
| Geomagnetic latitude | 68.5° N (WMM2025) | NOAA NCEI, own calculation |
| Kp needed | any, Kp 1 on the cards | NOAA rule of thumb |
| Fully dark nights | 29 August to 14 April | own calculation (Meeus), USNO definitions |
| Too bright for faint aurora | 3 May to 9 August | own calculation (Meeus), USNO definitions |
| Tours that pass the filter | 8, from 65 USD, counted 9 Oct 2026 | booking catalogue |
Source: NOAA NCEI, World Magnetic Model 2025, geomagnetic pole, checked on 9 Oct 2026.
Latest northern lights posts
Frequently asked questions
What Kp index do you need to see the northern lights in Yellowknife?
Any Kp with a dark, clear sky. Yellowknife sits at 68.5° N geomagnetic latitude, inside the auroral oval already at Kp 0 by NOAA's rule of thumb, which puts the oval's edge at about 66°. The cards on this site use Kp 1, the lowest value they show.
When is the best time to see the northern lights in Yellowknife?
Fully dark nights in Yellowknife (sun 18° below the horizon) run from 29 August to 14 April. The darkest skies of the month are the 5 nights around the new moon. The home page shows the moon for each of the next 27 days.
Can you see the northern lights in Yellowknife in summer?
From 3 May to 9 August the sky never gets darker than nautical twilight, so only a strong display shows, low on the horizon.
How many northern lights tours are there in Yellowknife?
8 guided tours from Yellowknife pass the filter of 4.3 stars and 20 reviews, from 65 USD per person, counted from the booking catalogue on 9 Oct 2026.
Is Yellowknife the best place in Canada for the northern lights?
By Kp needed Yellowknife shares the lowest figure in Canada, Kp 1, with Churchill. Clouds and light decide the rest.
Why does the Yellowknife aurora probability on this page change?
It comes from NOAA's OVATION model, a forecast for the next 30 to 90 minutes, which this site re-reads at most every 15 minutes. The Kp needed, 1, does not change: it is geography.
Sources (5)
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
- US Naval Observatory, rise, set and twilight definitions, checked on 9 Oct 2026
Written and maintained by the Kp Forecast editorial team. Independent site, not a space weather agency. Data: NOAA SWPC.
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