Northern Lights
Northern lights forecast by city
Pick a city for a live aurora forecast, or see which places need the lowest Kp to catch the lights.
Browse by country
Where the aurora is easiest to see
Cities ranked by the Kp index needed for the aurora to reach the horizon — lower is easier.
- Fort McMurray, Alberta Kp
- Fairbanks, Alaska Kp
- Whitehorse, Yukon Kp
- Yellowknife, Northwest Territories Kp
- Iqaluit, Nunavut Kp
- Churchill, Manitoba Kp
- Anchorage, Alaska Kp 0.3
- Juneau, Alaska Kp 0.4
- Grande Prairie, Alberta Kp 0.8
- Prince Albert, Saskatchewan Kp 0.9
- Edmonton, Alberta Kp 1.2
- Inverness, Scotland Kp 1.4
- Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Kp 1.5
- Fort William, Scotland Kp 1.6
- Aberdeen, Scotland Kp 1.7
- Prince George, British Columbia Kp 1.7
- Jasper, Alberta Kp 1.8
- Dundee, Scotland Kp 1.9
- Red Deer, Alberta Kp 1.9
- Stirling, Scotland Kp 2
- Winnipeg, Manitoba Kp 2.1
- Glasgow, Scotland Kp 2.1
- Edinburgh, Scotland Kp 2.2
- Regina, Saskatchewan Kp 2.2
- Derry, Northern Ireland Kp 2.3
- Brandon, Manitoba Kp 2.3
- Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan Kp 2.3
- Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador Kp 2.3
- Saguenay, Quebec Kp 2.4
- Calgary, Alberta Kp 2.5
- Banff, Alberta Kp 2.5
- Belfast, Northern Ireland Kp 2.6
- Thunder Bay, Ontario Kp 2.6
- Carlisle, England Kp 2.7
- Newcastle, England Kp 2.8
- Sunderland, England Kp 2.8
- Medicine Hat, Alberta Kp 2.8
- Keswick, England Kp 2.8
- Durham, England Kp 2.9
- Ely, Minnesota Kp 2.9
How the forecast works
Two things decide whether you see the aurora: how far you are from the geomagnetic pole, and how disturbed the Earth's magnetic field is right now (the Kp index, 0–9). The closer you are to the pole, the lower the Kp you need. We combine your city's geomagnetic latitude with NOAA's live Kp forecast and the OVATION auroral model.
Even with a strong forecast you still need a clear, dark sky and an open view toward the pole. Each city page pairs the Kp forecast with tonight's cloud cover so you know whether it's worth going out.