Live Aurora Outlook
Northern Lights in Alaska
Tonight's Live Forecast
Alaska needs a Kp index of roughly 1+ for visible aurora. Below is tonight's answer, computed from the live Kp reading — updated hourly, explained calmly.
Can you see the northern lights in Alaska tonight?
Yes — strong aurora odds in Alaska tonight
The Kp index is currently 4, well above Alaska's visibility threshold of roughly Kp 1. From a dark location with a clear northern horizon, this is a genuine display night — head out between 10 PM and 2 AM local time and look north.
Aurora in Alaska
What Alaska Needs for a Display
Alaska is the single best place in the United States to see the northern lights, and it is not close. Fairbanks and the interior sit directly beneath the auroral oval, which means aurora is visible on most clear, dark nights even at Kp 0–1 — no geomagnetic storm required. The practical limits in Alaska are darkness and weather, not the Kp index: from roughly late April through mid-August, the midnight sun keeps interior skies too bright to see anything.
Fairbanks sits at roughly 65° geomagnetic latitude — directly under the auroral oval. Aurora visibility depends on geomagnetic latitude — which differs from map latitude by up to 15 degrees — so these thresholds come from NOAA SWPC's storm-level view-line estimates, not simple map position. Treat them as odds, not guarantees: at the threshold Kp, expect a glow low on the northern horizon rather than overhead curtains.
Approximate Kp Needed by Location
Based on NOAA SWPC G-scale view-line estimates
Best Viewing Spots in Alaska
When to Look
10 PM – 2 AM local time, centered on midnight. September through March offers the darkest skies. Avoid full-moon nights and city light domes — even 30 minutes of driving makes a real difference.
Don't Refresh This Page All Winter —
get a Kp alert instead
Aurora visibility in Alaska is driven by the Kp index, so a Kp storm alert is effectively an aurora heads-up. The ResonanceOne app sends free push notifications when the Kp index reaches geomagnetic storm level (Kp 5+) — right at Alaska's visibility threshold.
To be clear: ResonanceOne is not a dedicated aurora app — no aurora map, no location-based visibility forecast. It tracks the underlying signals (Kp index, solar flares, Schumann Resonance) in one calm Activity Index, and alerts you when they spike.
Common Questions
Northern Lights in Alaska: FAQ
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