AuroraMeteo

Quebec, CanadaMagnetic latitude 56.4°Population 3,9617 m above sea level

Northern lights in Saint-Augustin

From Saint-Augustin the aurora is visible on most active nights — first low to the north-north-west, from about Kp 3.

Right now

It is still light here. Darkness starts at 18:11.

Kp 2.7 · 445 km/s · Bz -3.4

Updates every minute while this page is open.

Tonight in one minute

Not tonight

  • Solar activity Enough for a camera: Kp 2.7 expected, 1.3 needed for photos, 3 for the eye.
  • Sky Overcast (100% cloud).
  • Darkness Dark from 18:11 to 05:09.

What to do: Not tonight — your next chance is shown just below.

Tonight

Updated 13:42 local time

0/100

Unlikely

Best around 18:00. Forecast max Kp 2.7 (this place needs 3), average cloud 100%.

Dark enough
18:11 – 05:09
Sunset
16:59 · sunrise 06:21
Moon
32% · ↑ 13:06 · ↓ 19:55
Kp neededKp index: a 0–9 measure of geomagnetic activity. The higher it is, the further from the poles the aurora reaches.
Kp 3
Kp for photos
In photos: from Kp 1.3 (a red glow low in the north-north-west).
Look towards
north-north-west (342°)
Sat 17 Oct14Kp 1.7 · cloud 0%
Sun 18 Oct13Kp 1.7 · cloud 44%
Sat 17 18 · 12/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 1.6% Sat 17 19 · 13/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 0% Sat 17 20 · 13/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 0% Sat 17 21 · 14/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 0% Sat 17 22 · 14/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 0% Sat 17 23 · 14/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 0.8% Sun 18 00 · 14/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 0.8% Sun 18 01 · 14/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 2.3% Sun 18 02 · 8/100 · Kp 1.3 · cloud 0% Sun 18 03 · 8/100 · Kp 1.3 · cloud 0% Sun 18 04 · 8/100 · Kp 1.3 · cloud 0% Sun 18 05 · 4/100 · Kp 1.3 · cloud 0% Sun 18 18 · 12/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 0.8% Sun 18 19 · 12/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 0% Sun 18 20 · 12/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 0% Sun 18 21 · 12/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 0% Sun 18 22 · 13/100 · Kp 1.7 · cloud 9.4% 18Sat 17061218Sun 18061218Mon 190612
Chance (0–100) Dark enough Cloud cover

Score = activity (NOAA Kp and OVATION) × clear sky (MET Norway) × darkness × moonlight. Methodology

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What you would see from Saint-Augustin

Facing north-north-west. Bands show where the aurora sits at two activity levels.

10°20°30°45° Kp 5 · high overheadKp 3 · 11°–21° WNW 282° WNW 297° NW 312° NNW 327° NNW 342° N 357° NNE 12° NNE 27° NE 42°
Computed from the auroral oval position for each Kp level (lower border ~105 km, ray tops ~200 km up). Horizon from elevation data out to 30 km.
KpWhat you seeLower edgeRay topsDistance to the aurora
2 Faint glow, mostly on camera 6° 13° 678 km
3 Visible to the north-north-west 11° 21° 456 km
4 Visible to the north-north-west 23° 39° 234 km
5 Visible to the north-north-west 84° 87° 11 km
6 Overhead and all around – – –
7 Overhead, and also to the south-south-east – – –
8 Overhead, and also to the south-south-east – – –
9 Overhead, and also to the south-south-east – – –
Angles above the horizon. Terrain in the look direction is taken into account where modelled.

The Kp scale in plain words

Kp is a 0–9 score for how strongly the Earth's magnetic field is being shaken by the solar wind. The higher it goes, the further from the poles the northern lights reach. Kp 0–2 is a quiet night; Kp 5 and above is a geomagnetic storm.

  1. Kp 0–2 Quiet camera in Saint-Augustin Only under the auroral oval: northern Norway, Swedish and Finnish Lapland, Iceland, Alaska, northern Canada.
  2. Kp 3 Unsettled next 24 h eye in Saint-Augustin 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).

Light pollution

Dark rural sky. Little artificial light. Faint displays are visible once your eyes have adapted.

A noticeably darker area starts about 10 km to the north-north-east. Open in OpenStreetMap

Estimate from NASA VIIRS night-light data (sky-glow model within 50 km). Check access and private land before you go.

Hills and mountains

The horizon towards the north-north-west is open (terrain below 2.8°), so low aurora is not blocked.

From elevation data (AWS Terrain Tiles) along seven lines of sight up to 30 km.

Best months to see the aurora in Saint-Augustin

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

February has been the best month (23% of nights), followed by September (20%).

0%10%20%30% July: 7% Jul August: 11% Aug September: 20% Sept October: 18% Oct November: 17% Nov December: 15% Dec January: 18% Jan February: 23% Feb March: 18% Mar April: 18% Apr May: 10% May June: 7% Jun
All years Near solar maximum Near solar minimum
MonthGood nightsClear nightsDarknessLow / high
September 20% 54% 8.9 h 8° / 14°C
October 18% 49% 10.8 h 3° / 8°C
November 17% 46% 12.5 h -3° / 2°C
December 15% 52% 13.1 h -10° / -4°C
January 18% 60% 12.8 h -15° / -7°C
February 23% 60% 11.4 h -16° / -7°C
March 18% 51% 9.5 h -11° / -3°C
April 18% 48% 7.3 h -4° / 2°C
Good night = darkness + activity at this place's Kp level + night-time satellite cloud ≤ 70%. GFZ Kp, NASA POWER (CERES), 1° grid. Methodology
55%chance of ≥1 good night in 3 nights (February)
73%chance of ≥1 good night in 5 nights (February)
84%chance of ≥1 good night in 7 nights (February)

Aurora nights in Saint-Augustin since 1995

Nights when Kp reached 4.7 or more while it was dark here.

2015: 4415442016: 3316332017: 3717372018: 1018102019: 1019102020: 52052021: 1721172022: 3522352023: 3723372024: 2524252025: 5525552026: 312631
Per year, last 12 years. Cloud cover not included. Source: GFZ Kp.

Most recent strong nights

Practical information

Nearest airport
St Augustin Airport (YIF) · 2 km
Typical low / high in February
-16° / -7°C
What to wear
Arctic cold: wool base layers, insulated jacket and trousers, warm boots, hat and mittens. Full clothing guide
Emergency number
911
Winter driving
Rules are provincial: Québec requires winter tyres (mountain-snowflake symbol or studded) on Québec-registered vehicles Dec 1–Mar 15, and BC requires winter tyres or chains on signed routes Oct 1–Mar 31 (to Apr 30 on mountain passes/high-snowfall routes); road conditions via 511 Yukon (511yukon.ca), DriveNWT (drivenwt.ca), 511 Alberta, Manitoba 511 (manitoba511.ca) and DriveBC. Road conditions
Access to land
There is no national right to roam; private land requires the owner's permission, while national/provincial parks and Crown land are generally accessible subject to park rules, which vary by province and territory.
Official space-weather service
Space Weather Canada (Natural Resources Canada)
Weather service
Environment and Climate Change Canada (weather.gc.ca)

Questions and answers

What Kp do you need to see the aurora in Saint-Augustin?

From Saint-Augustin the aurora is visible on most active nights — first low to the north-north-west, from about Kp 3.

Which way should I look for the aurora in Saint-Augustin?

Face north-north-west (about 342° from true north). At Kp 3 the lower edge of the aurora sits roughly 11° above the horizon; stronger activity lifts it higher and further across the sky.

What is the best month to see the aurora in Saint-Augustin?

Over 2005–2025, February gave the best odds in Saint-Augustin (23% of nights dark, active enough and mostly clear), followed by September (20%).

When is the aurora season in Saint-Augustin?

Saint-Augustin gets dark enough for the aurora all year round, though the long winter nights give the most hours to watch.

Is there much light pollution in Saint-Augustin?

Little artificial light. Faint displays are visible once your eyes have adapted. A noticeably darker area starts about 10 km to the north-north-east.

When was the aurora last possible in Saint-Augustin?

Activity last reached storm level (Kp 5 or more) during darkness in Saint-Augustin on 10 October 2026 (Kp 5.7) — 996 such nights since 1995. Here the aurora also appears on many quieter nights.

Also covered by this forecast

Villages and districts around Saint-Augustin share its forecast: within a few kilometres the sky, the Kp needed and the best direction are the same.