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Northern Lights in Alberta, Canada

In Alberta the aurora is visible from about Kp 0, first near Fort McMurray. Wabasca-Desmarais has the darkest skies among the larger places.

Next chance in Alberta

Saturday 17 October, around 22:30

Good chance · Fort McMurray · Reliability: medium

PlaceKp neededKp for photosLook towardsLight pollutionPopulation
Fort McMurray 0 0 NNE Rural to suburban 66,573
Peace River 0 0 NNE City sky 6,842
High Level 0 0 NNE Rural to suburban 3,159
La Crête 0 0 NNE City sky 2,911
Wabasca-Desmarais 0 0 NNE Pristine dark sky 1,594
Manning 0 0 NNE Pristine dark sky 1,359
Cold Lake 0.3 0 NNE Dark rural sky 11,595
Grand Centre 0.3 0 NNE Rural to suburban 7,256
Slave Lake 0.3 0 NNE City sky 6,836
Fairview 0.3 0 NNE Bright suburban sky 2,998
High Prairie 0.3 0 NNE Dark rural sky 2,878
Grimshaw 0.3 0 NNE Pristine dark sky 2,560
Lac La Biche 0.3 0 NNE Rural to suburban 2,314
Spirit River 0.3 0 NNE Pristine dark sky 1,157
Falher 0.3 0 NNE Dark rural sky 1,001
Grande Prairie 0.7 0 NNE City sky 70,385
Bonnyville 0.7 0 NNE Rural to suburban 5,975
St. Paul 0.7 0 NNE Suburban sky 5,728
Athabasca 0.7 0 NNE Dark rural sky 2,965
Clairmont 0.7 0 NNE Rural to suburban 2,799
Sexsmith 0.7 0 NNE Dark rural sky 2,461
Beaverlodge 0.7 0 NNE Pristine dark sky 2,271
Swan Hills 0.7 0 NNE Dark rural sky 1,900
Valleyview 0.7 0 NNE Bright suburban sky 1,863
Elk Point 0.7 0 NNE Bright suburban sky 1,399
Westlake 0.7 0 NNE City sky 1,363
Smoky Lake 0.7 0 NNE Dark rural sky 1,063
Edmonton 1 0 NNE Bright suburban sky 1,010,899
Sherwood Park 1 0 NNE Suburban sky 70,618
St. Albert 1 0 NNE Suburban sky 57,719
Spruce Grove 1 0 NNE Rural to suburban 38,985
Lloydminster 1 0 NNE Suburban sky 31,582
Stony Plain 1 0 NNE Rural to suburban 17,993
Fort Saskatchewan 1 0 NNE City sky 14,957
Morinville 1 0 NNE Bright suburban sky 9,848
Whitecourt 1 0 NNE Rural to suburban 8,763
Vegreville 1 0 NNE Rural to suburban 5,708
Westlock 1 0 NNE Bright suburban sky 4,678
Barrhead 1 0 NNE Suburban sky 4,579
Vermilion 1 0 NNE Rural to suburban 4,084
Gibbons 1 0 NNE Dark rural sky 2,790
Fox Creek 1 0 NNE Dark rural sky 2,457
Tofield 1 0 NNE Pristine dark sky 1,911
Lamont 1 0 NNE Pristine dark sky 1,774
Bon Accord 1 0 NNE Rural to suburban 1,529
Wembley 1 0 NNE Rural to suburban 1,516
Two Hills 1 0 NNE Dark rural sky 1,352
Mayerthorpe 1 0 NNE Suburban sky 1,320
Ardrossan 1 0 NNE Dark rural sky 1,238
Camrose 1.3 0 NNE City sky 20,405
Leduc 1.3 0 NNE Suburban sky 15,561
Wetaskiwin 1.3 0 NNE City sky 12,594
Edson 1.3 0 NNE Rural to suburban 7,975
Beaumont 1.3 0 NNE Rural to suburban 7,366
Devon 1.3 0 NNE Rural to suburban 6,545
Wainwright 1.3 0 NNE Bright suburban sky 6,270
Drayton Valley 1.3 0 NNE Suburban sky 6,099
Viking 1.3 0 NNE Pristine dark sky 1,106
Red Deer 1.7 0 NNE Bright suburban sky 100,844
Sylvan Lake 1.7 0 NNE Suburban sky 17,477
Lacombe 1.7 0 NNE City sky 14,258
Blackfalds 1.7 0 NNE Suburban sky 11,015
Hinton 1.7 0 NNE Suburban sky 9,889
Ponoka 1.7 0 NNE Bright suburban sky 6,656
Rocky Mountain House 1.7 0 NNE Rural to suburban 6,527
Stettler 1.7 0 NNE Rural to suburban 5,494
Grande Cache 1.7 0 NNE Dark rural sky 3,276
Olds 2 0.3 NNE Suburban sky 9,209
Drumheller 2 0.3 NNE Suburban sky 8,430
Innisfail 2 0.3 NNE Suburban sky 7,672
Didsbury 2 0.3 NNE Rural to suburban 4,134
Carstairs 2 0.3 NNE Rural to suburban 4,077
Jasper 2 0.3 NNE Suburban sky 3,948
Jasper Park Lodge 2 0.3 NNE Dark rural sky 3,907
Penhold 2 0.3 NNE Dark rural sky 3,277
Hanna 2 0.3 NNE Pristine dark sky 3,140
Three Hills 2 0.3 NNE Dark rural sky 3,051
Calgary 2.3 0.7 NNE City sky 1,306,784
Airdrie 2.3 0.7 NNE Suburban sky 90,044
Chestermere 2.3 0.7 NNE Rural to suburban 32,255
Cochrane 2.3 0.7 NNE Bright suburban sky 32,199
Brooks 2.3 0.7 NNE Suburban sky 14,451
Strathmore 2.3 0.7 NNE Suburban sky 13,592
Bearspaw 2.3 0.7 NNE Rural to suburban 5,567
Medicine Hat 2.7 1 NNE Bright suburban sky 63,138
Okotoks 2.7 1 NNE Bright suburban sky 30,214
High River 2.7 1 NNE Rural to suburban 14,324
Redcliff 2.7 1 NNE Suburban sky 5,581
Black Diamond 2.7 1 NNE Rural to suburban 3,663
Lethbridge 3 1.3 NNE Bright suburban sky 103,197
Coaldale 3 1.3 NNE Rural to suburban 8,215
Taber 3 1.3 NNE Suburban sky 8,163
Pincher Creek 3 1.3 NNE Rural to suburban 3,855
Claresholm 3 1.3 NNE Rural to suburban 3,780
Raymond 3 1.3 NNE Dark rural sky 3,708
Fort Macleod 3 1.3 NNE Dark rural sky 3,060
Canmore 3.3 1.7 NNE Rural to suburban 13,992
Banff 3.3 1.7 NNE Rural to suburban 8,305
Cardston 3.3 1.7 NNE Suburban sky 3,585

Best months in Alberta

Share of nights 2005–2025 that were dark, active enough here and mostly clear.

April has been the best month (57% of nights), followed by February (57%).

0%20%40%60% July: 23% Jul August: 56% Aug September: 52% Sept October: 35% Oct November: 33% Nov December: 51% Dec January: 54% Jan February: 57% Feb March: 57% Mar April: 57% Apr May: 42% May – Jun
All years Near solar maximum Near solar minimum
  1. Kp 0–2 Quiet eye in Fort McMurray Only under the auroral oval: northern Norway, Swedish and Finnish Lapland, Iceland, Alaska, northern Canada.
  2. Kp 3 Unsettled Bright in the Arctic; low on the horizon in central Scandinavia and southern Iceland.
  3. Kp 4 Active Overhead in the Arctic; low in the north from southern Norway, Sweden, Finland and northern Scotland.
  4. Kp 5 Minor storm (G1) Scotland, southern Scandinavia, the Baltic states, the northern US states and southern Canada.
  5. Kp 6 Moderate storm (G2) Northern England, Denmark, northern Germany and Poland, the US Midwest — often clearer in photos than to the eye.
  6. Kp 7 Strong storm (G3) Most of the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Czechia; red glow in photos from France and the northern Alps.
  7. Kp 8 Severe storm (G4) Central Europe to the eye; red sky in photos from northern Italy, Spain, the Balkans and Turkey's Black Sea coast.
  8. Kp 9 Extreme storm (G5) Seen across Europe and the US; in photos as far south as the Mediterranean, Turkey and North Africa (May 2024).

The town pages in this region also cover 1,184 villages and districts nearby.

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