Alaska, United StatesMagnetic latitude 65.1°Population 32,325136 m above sea level
Northern lights in Fairbanks
Fairbanks sits right under the auroral oval: on clear, dark nights the aurora is often overhead, even when activity is quiet. Clouds matter far more than the Kp number here.
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
Yes — good chance tonight
- Solar activity Strong enough: Kp 2 expected, 0 needed here.
- Sky Mostly clear (7% cloud).
- Darkness Dark from 20:10 to 07:03.
What to do: Go somewhere dark around 05:00, give your eyes 15 minutes to adjust and look north-north-east, low over the horizon.
- Detailed forecast Thu 15 2 Good chance · Kp 2
- Fri 16 1.7 Possible · Kp 1.7
- Sat 17 1.7 Possible · Kp 1.7
- 27-day trend Sun 18 2 Possible · 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
Friday 16 October — Good chance · Kp 2 · best around 06:30 · Forecast cloud: 7%. · Reliability: good
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 05:44 local time
Excellent chance
Best around 05:00. Forecast max Kp 2.0 (this place needs 0), average cloud 7%.
- Dark enough
- 20:10 – 07:03
- Sunset
- 18:23 · sunrise 08:50
- Moon
- 31%
- Kp neededKp index: a 0–9 measure of geomagnetic activity. The higher it is, the further from the poles the aurora reaches.
- Kp 0
- Look towards
- north-north-east (20°)
Clearer skies nearby tonight
Forecast cloud during tonight's darkness: 96% here. The clearest option within 100 km is about 60 km to the north, with 69%. 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 Fairbanks
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Visible to the north-north-east | 33° | 51° | 156 km |
| 2 | Overhead and all around | – | – | – |
| 3 | Overhead, and also to the south-south-west | – | – | – |
| 4 | Overhead, and also to the south-south-west | – | – | – |
| 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 Fairbanks 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-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-east is open (terrain below 1.5°), 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 Fairbanks
Share of nights 2005–2025 that were dark, active enough here and mostly clear.
March has been the best month (72% of nights), followed by January (71%).
| Month | Good nights | Clear nights | Darkness | Low / high |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September | 37% | 37% | 6.9 h | 3° / 10°C |
| October | 33% | 33% | 10.5 h | -6° / 0°C |
| November | 60% | 60% | 13.3 h | -18° / -13°C |
| December | 65% | 65% | 14.6 h | -21° / -15°C |
| January | 71% | 71% | 14.1 h | -23° / -17°C |
| February | 68% | 68% | 11.5 h | -21° / -13°C |
| March | 72% | 72% | 8.4 h | -18° / -8°C |
| April | 48% | 72% | 2.4 h | -8° / 2°C |
Darkness through the year
- No full darkness (Sun 12° below the horizon) from 23 April to 19 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 Fairbanks 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 Fairbanks
-
Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge
Open fields about 2 miles from downtown on a paved road, the easiest dark-ish spot without leaving town. · about 3 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Cleary Summit (Steese Highway)
Hilltop at about 680 m with views over the Tanana Valley and White Mountains and several pull-outs along the highway. · about 32 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Murphy Dome
The highest point close to Fairbanks (about 877 m) with a nearly unobstructed view of sky and valley. · about 40 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Chena Lake Recreation Area (North Pole)
Lakes and open shoreline where autumn auroras can be photographed reflected in the water. · about 27 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Chena Hot Springs Road / Chena River State Recreation Area
Road runs through dark, sparsely inhabited country to Chena Hot Springs Resort, with pull-outs along the way. · about 97 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
Local knowledge
- Explore Fairbanks gives the aurora season as August 21 to April 21, when nights are dark enough to see the lights.
- Fairbanks sits under the auroral oval, and the local tourism board says staying at least three nights and being out late in the evening greatly improves your chances.
- Displays are often strongest around 10 pm to 2 am but can appear any time between dusk and dawn.
- Check both the aurora forecast and the cloud forecast before driving out, since clear skies matter as much as activity.
- For heated viewing, several operators run aurora cabins, yurts and lodges outside town, and Chena Hot Springs Resort sits at the end of Chena Hot Springs Road.
Cleary Summit and Murphy Dome roads have sharp turns and steep grades; an AWD/4WD vehicle is recommended in snow.
Moose are common along Chena Hot Springs Road and cell coverage is spotty; carry warm clothing, food, water and a charged phone in case of breakdown.
Clear winter nights are usually very cold, so dress for extreme cold even for short stops.
Practical information
- Nearest airport
- Fairbanks International Airport (FAI) · 7 km
- Typical low / high in March
- -18° / -8°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
- 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 Fairbanks?
Fairbanks sits right under the auroral oval: on clear, dark nights the aurora is often overhead, even when activity is quiet. Clouds matter far more than the Kp number here.
Which way should I look for the aurora in Fairbanks?
Face north-north-east (about 20° from true north). At Kp 0 the lower edge of the aurora sits roughly 33° above the horizon; stronger activity lifts it higher and further across the sky.
What is the best month to see the aurora in Fairbanks?
Over 2005–2025, March gave the best odds in Fairbanks (72% of nights dark, active enough and mostly clear), followed by January (71%).
When is the aurora season in Fairbanks?
From 23 April to 19 August the sky in Fairbanks never gets dark enough. Outside that period the aurora can be seen whenever activity and clouds allow.
Is there much light pollution in Fairbanks?
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-north-east.
When was the aurora last possible in Fairbanks?
Activity last reached storm level (Kp 5 or more) during darkness in Fairbanks on 4 October 2026 (Kp 5.0) — 648 such nights since 1995. Here the aurora also appears on many quieter nights.
Also covered by this forecast
Villages and districts around Fairbanks share its forecast: within a few kilometres the sky, the Kp needed and the best direction are the same.
- South Fairbanks 0 km
- Bjerrmark 1 km
- Slaterville 1 km
- Graehl 2 km
- Hamilton Acres 2 km
- Lemeta 3 km
- South Van Horn 5 km