Aurora destinations · Alaska & Canada
Northern lights in Fairbanks
Alaska, USA · 64.84°N, 147.72°W
Fairbanks lies under the auroral oval, so aurora is often overhead: a dark, clear night has good odds even when activity is low (magnetic latitude 65°). Light pollution: city lights brighten the sky. In town you need about Kp 1.4; at a dark site nearby, any Kp.
Open the live forecast for Fairbanks
At a glance
- Good odds: from any Kp at a dark site, Kp 1.4 in town
- Best months: March, January and February
- Best weeks in the coming year: 2–15 Mar · 23 Mar – 5 Apr
- Too light for aurora: 4 May – 2 Aug (bright nights)
Month by month
A typical night: real darkness and moon, average aurora activity (Kp 2014–2025) and satellite cloud cover (NASA, 2001–2025). Long-range odds, not a forecast.
| Month | Typical night | Clear sky | Dark hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 13% | 45% | 15 h |
| February | 13% | 41% | 13 h |
| March | 16% | 48% | 9 h |
| April | 11% | 40% | 4 h |
| May | 1% | 30% | – |
| June | Too light | 26% | – |
| July | Too light | 23% | – |
| August | 7% | 26% | 4 h |
| September | 9% | 27% | 9 h |
| October | 7% | 24% | 12 h |
| November | 10% | 33% | 15 h |
| December | 13% | 41% | 16 h |
Tips for Fairbanks
- Clouds decide most nights: check the hour-by-hour forecast, and the “Clearer skies nearby” card for a spot within a drive.
- Aurora is usually best between about 22:00 and 02:00 local time; give your eyes 15 minutes in the dark.
- Get away from the town lights: even 10–20 km makes a difference.
Nearby destinations
Coldfoot · Anchorage · Yellowknife · Whitehorse · Churchill · Banff