Alaska, United StatesMagnetic latitude 61.0°Population 289,60031 m above sea level
Northern lights in Anchorage
From Anchorage the aurora is visible on most active nights — first low to the north-north-east, from about Kp 0.7.
Right now
The aurora may be in view right now — go outside and look north-north-east!
Updates every minute while this page is open.
Tonight in one minute
Not tonight
- Solar activity Strong enough: Kp 2 expected, 0.7 needed here.
- Sky Overcast (94% cloud).
- Darkness Dark from 20:17 to 07:13.
What to do: Not tonight — your next chance is shown just below.
- Detailed forecast Thu 15 2 Possible · Kp 2
- Fri 16 1.7 Possible · Kp 1.7
- Sat 17 1.7 Good chance · Kp 1.7
- 27-day trend Sun 18 2 Good chance · Kp 2
- Mon 19 2 Possible · Kp 2
- Tue 20 3 Possible · Kp 3
- Wed 21 4 Possible · Kp 4
- Thu 22 4 Possible · Kp 4
- Fri 23 3 Possible · Kp 3
- Sat 24 2 Possible · Kp 2
- Sun 25 2 Possible · Kp 2
- Mon 26 2 Possible · Kp 2
- Tue 27 2 Possible · Kp 2
- Wed 28 2 Possible · Kp 2
- Thu 29 2 Good chance · Kp 2
- Fri 30 5 Good chance · Kp 5
- Sat 31 5 Good chance · Kp 5
- Sun 1 3 Good chance · Kp 3
- Mon 2 2 Good chance · Kp 2
- Tue 3 2 Good chance · Kp 2
- Wed 4 2 Good chance · Kp 2
- Thu 5 3 Good chance · Kp 3
- Fri 6 3 Good chance · Kp 3
Saturday 17 October — Good chance · Kp 1.7 · best around 20:30 · Forecast cloud: 32%. · Reliability: medium
Each box is one night: the colour shows the chance, the number the expected Kp. Tap a night for details.
📅 Add these nights to your calendar — it updates itself (.ics)
How far ahead can the northern lights be forecast?
- Minutes to an hour: satellites 1.5 million km away measure the solar wind before it reaches Earth. This is the surest warning — the “Right now” box uses it.
- 1–3 days: when the Sun throws out a cloud of particles, it takes one to three days to arrive. NOAA's 3-hourly forecast covers these nights; the timing can still be off by a few hours.
- 4–27 days: the Sun turns once every 27 days, and regions that disturbed Earth's field last time often do it again. NOAA's 27-day outlook gives this rough trend — new eruptions are not in it yet.
Tonight
Updated 05:45 local time
Unlikely
Best around 05:00. Forecast max Kp 2.0 (this place needs 0.7), average cloud 94%.
- Dark enough
- 20:17 – 07:13
- Sunset
- 18:43 · sunrise 08:48
- Moon
- 31% · ↑ 17:27 · ↓ 20:11
- Kp neededKp index: a 0–9 measure of geomagnetic activity. The higher it is, the further from the poles the aurora reaches.
- Kp 0.7
- Kp for photos
- In photos: from Kp 0 (a red glow low in the north-north-east).
- Look towards
- north-north-east (18°)
Clearer skies nearby tonight
Forecast cloud during tonight's darkness: 85% here. The clearest option within 100 km is about 60 km to the north-east, near Wasilla, with 22%. Open in OpenStreetMap
MET Norway forecast at 24 points within 100 km, averaged over the dark hours. Check roads and conditions before driving.
Score = activity (NOAA Kp and OVATION) × clear sky (MET Norway) × darkness × moonlight. Methodology
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What you would see from Anchorage
Facing north-north-east. Bands show where the aurora sits at two activity levels.
| Kp | What you see | Lower edge | Ray tops | Distance to the aurora |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Visible to the north-north-east | 13° | 25° | 389 km |
| 2 | Visible to the north-north-east | 31° | 49° | 167 km |
| 3 | Overhead and all around | – | – | – |
| 4 | Overhead and all around | – | – | – |
| 5 | Overhead, and also to the south-south-west | – | – | – |
| 6 | Overhead, and also to the south-south-west | – | – | – |
| 7 | Overhead, and also to the south-south-west | – | – | – |
| 8 | Overhead, and also to the south-south-west | – | – | – |
| 9 | Overhead, and also to the south-south-west | – | – | – |
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.
- Kp 0–2 Quiet next 24 h eye in Anchorage camera in Anchorage Only under the auroral oval: northern Norway, Swedish and Finnish Lapland, Iceland, Alaska, northern Canada.
- Kp 3 Unsettled Bright in the Arctic; low on the horizon in central Scandinavia and southern Iceland.
- Kp 4 Active Overhead in the Arctic; low in the north from southern Norway, Sweden, Finland and northern Scotland.
- Kp 5 Minor storm (G1) Scotland, southern Scandinavia, the Baltic states, the northern US states and southern Canada.
- Kp 6 Moderate storm (G2) Northern England, Denmark, northern Germany and Poland, the US Midwest — often clearer in photos than to the eye.
- Kp 7 Strong storm (G3) Most of the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Czechia; red glow in photos from France and the northern Alps.
- 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.
- 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
Bright suburban sky. Strong sky glow washes out faint aurora. Head out of town for anything but a bright display.
A noticeably darker area starts about 10 km to the north-west. 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-east is open (terrain below 0.6°), 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 Anchorage
Share of nights 2005–2025 that were dark, active enough here and mostly clear.
March has been the best month (52% of nights), followed by January (47%).
| Month | Good nights | Clear nights | Darkness | Low / high |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September | 22% | 24% | 7.6 h | 6° / 11°C |
| October | 31% | 33% | 10.6 h | 0° / 4°C |
| November | 42% | 48% | 13.1 h | -8° / -4°C |
| December | 38% | 43% | 14.1 h | -9° / -5°C |
| January | 47% | 49% | 13.6 h | -10° / -6°C |
| February | 46% | 48% | 11.5 h | -10° / -4°C |
| March | 52% | 55% | 8.8 h | -8° / -2°C |
| April | 42% | 48% | 5.3 h | -3° / 3°C |
Darkness through the year
- No full darkness (Sun 12° below the horizon) from 6 May to 6 August — the sky stays too bright for most auroras.
- Next new moon 8 November, next full moon 25 October. The darkest skies are in the week around new moon.
Aurora nights in Anchorage since 1995
Nights when Kp reached 4.7 or more while it was dark here.
Most recent strong nights
- 4 October 2026 · Kp 5.0
- 3 October 2026 · Kp 5.0
- 7 September 2026 · Kp 5.0
- 18 April 2026 · Kp 5.3
- 17 April 2026 · Kp 5.3
- 2 April 2026 · Kp 5.3
- 1 April 2026 · Kp 5.0
- 24 March 2026 · Kp 5.0
Where to watch near Anchorage
-
Glen Alps Trailhead (Chugach State Park)
Overlook at about 670 m (2,200 ft) with views across the Anchorage Bowl; parking requires a $5 fee or state parks pass. · about 24 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Point Woronzof Park
Northwest-facing bluff about 37 m above Knik Arm on the city's edge with a wide view to the north. · about 11 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Eklutna Tailrace / Knik River area
Knik River drainage with a northern horizon free of mountains, good when the aurora is low. · about 55 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Hatcher Pass (winter parking area)
High mountain valley near Independence Mine far from city light, with sweeping views. · about 94 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Beluga Point (Seward Highway)
Pull-out on Turnagain Arm that combines sea, mountains and sky in one frame. · about 29 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Eagle River Nature Center
Dark valley location at the end of Eagle River Road, away from the city glow. · about 42 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
Local knowledge
- Anchorage lies south of the main auroral oval, so you usually need moderate geomagnetic activity and must get away from city lights to see a good display.
- The season matches the rest of Alaska, roughly late August to mid-April, when nights are dark.
- Look for spots with a clear northern horizon; the Knik River valley is noted for showing low auroras because it has no mountains to the north.
- Check the aurora forecast and cloud cover together, since coastal weather often brings clouds.
- Hotel Alyeska in Girdwood offers guests a northern-lights wake-up call.
Toilsome Road to Glen Alps has a very sharp switchback and steep grades; AWD and good winter tires may be needed in snow or ice.
Part of Hatcher Pass Road is closed in winter; viewers use the winter parking area below Independence Mine State Historical Park.
Watch for moose on roads and trails at night.
Practical information
- Nearest airport
- Merrill Field (MRI) · 3 km
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) · 7 km - Typical low / high in March
- -8° / -2°C
- What to wear
- Below freezing at night: thermal layers, a warm jacket, hat, gloves and winter boots. Full clothing guide
- Emergency number
- 911
- Winter driving
- Tyre and chain rules are set at state level; check Alaska 511 (511.alaska.gov, Alaska DOT&PF) for Alaska roads, or the relevant state's 511 service elsewhere. Road conditions
- Access to land
- There is no general right to roam; trespass law is set by each state, so stay on public land (national parks, national forests, BLM land) or get the landowner's permission, and follow each park's night-time and parking rules.
- Official space-weather service
- NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (aurora dashboard)
- Weather service
- National Weather Service (NOAA)
Questions and answers
What Kp do you need to see the aurora in Anchorage?
From Anchorage the aurora is visible on most active nights — first low to the north-north-east, from about Kp 0.7.
Which way should I look for the aurora in Anchorage?
Face north-north-east (about 18° from true north). At Kp 0.7 the lower edge of the aurora sits roughly 13° above the horizon; stronger activity lifts it higher and further across the sky.
What is the best month to see the aurora in Anchorage?
Over 2005–2025, March gave the best odds in Anchorage (52% of nights dark, active enough and mostly clear), followed by January (47%).
When is the aurora season in Anchorage?
From 6 May to 6 August the sky in Anchorage never gets dark enough. Outside that period the aurora can be seen whenever activity and clouds allow.
Is there much light pollution in Anchorage?
Strong sky glow washes out faint aurora. Head out of town for anything but a bright display. A noticeably darker area starts about 10 km to the north-west.
When was the aurora last possible in Anchorage?
Activity last reached storm level (Kp 5 or more) during darkness in Anchorage on 4 October 2026 (Kp 5.0) — 698 such nights since 1995. Here the aurora also appears on many quieter nights.
Also covered by this forecast
Villages and districts around Anchorage share its forecast: within a few kilometres the sky, the Kp needed and the best direction are the same.
- Glen Alps 0 km
- Downtown 1 km
- Blanchard 2 km
- Chester 2 km
- East Chester 2 km
- Hillside 2 km
- Lingo 2 km
- Rainbow 2 km
- Romig 2 km
- Sunbeam 2 km
- Thompson 2 km
- Anchor Terrace 2 km
- Lindale 3 km
- Rees 3 km
- Rogers Park 3 km
- Spenard 3 km
- Turnagain Heights 3 km
- City View 4 km
- Rogers Park 4 km
- Traversie 4 km
- Airport Heights 4 km
- Campbell 5 km
- Grandview Gardens 5 km
- Green Acres 5 km
- Lange 5 km
- Mountain View 5 km
- Vanover 5 km
- Wilson Village 5 km
- Chugach Heights 6 km
- Fairview 6 km
- Justamere Ranch 6 km
- Lawrence 6 km
- Runstettler 6 km
- Wonder Park 6 km
- Artesian Village 6 km
- Nunaka Valley 7 km
- DeBarr Vista 8 km
- Tuomi 8 km
- Knik Heights 14 km
- Point MacKenzie 16 km