Northern lights in Anchorage tonight
The aurora forecast for Anchorage, Alaska, hour by hour: the Kp index NOAA expects, darkness, the Moon and the cloud forecast for the city.
Low chance Monday, October 26
The highest Kp expected after dark tonight is 1.33. Anchorage needs about Kp 2 to see the aurora low on the northern horizon, and the sky cover forecast after dark averages 43%. The Moon is 98% lit.
| Time | Sky | Kp | Clouds | Moon | Chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 PM | Dark | 1.33 | 59% | 15° | Low chance |
| 9 PM | Dark | 1.33 | 59% | 22° | Low chance |
| 10 PM | Dark | 1.33 | 40% | 29° | Low chance |
| 11 PM | Dark | 1.33 | 40% | 36° | Low chance |
| 12 AM | Dark | 1.33 | 40% | 42° | Low chance |
| 1 AM | Dark | 1.33 | 42% | 47° | Low chance |
| 2 AM | Dark | 1.33 | 42% | 50° | Low chance |
| 3 AM | Dark | 1.33 | 42% | 51° | Low chance |
| 4 AM | Dark | 1.33 | 34% | 49° | Low chance |
| 5 AM | Dark | 1.33 | 34% | 45° | Low chance |
| 6 AM | Dark | 1.33 | 34% | 40° | Low chance |
| 7 AM | Dark | 1.33 | 46% | 33° | Low chance |
| 8 AM | Twilight | 1.33 | 46% | 27° | Not dark yet |
Forecast from NOAA SWPC (Kp, 3-hour blocks) and the National Weather Service (sky cover), checked when this page was built. The page updates itself when it can reach our data feed.
What Kp you need in Anchorage
The farther north (in magnetic terms) you stand, the lower the Kp you need. From Anchorage, an aurora usually shows low on the northern horizon once Kp reaches about 2; overhead displays need about two steps more. A phone camera in night mode often records it one step earlier than the eye. How we estimate this: our method.
How often the aurora reaches Anchorage
Our own count from the official Kp archive: on how many nights each year the Kp index reached about 2 or more while it was dark at Anchorage. Clouds are not counted, so the real number of nights with a visible aurora is lower. Over the last 10 years the average was 154.1 nights a year; in 2025 it was 215.
Data: Kp index since 1932, GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences (Matzka et al., 2021), CC BY 4.0. Darkness computed by us for each 3-hour interval (Sun 12° or more below the horizon).
The next 27 days
NOAA's 27-day outlook has 27 days with a largest Kp close to or above what Anchorage needs: Oct 26 (Kp 2), Oct 27 (Kp 2), Oct 28 (Kp 2), Oct 29 (Kp 2), Oct 30 (Kp 2), Oct 31 (Kp 5), Nov 1 (Kp 4), Nov 2 (Kp 3), Nov 3 (Kp 2), Nov 4 (Kp 2), Nov 5 (Kp 3), Nov 6 (Kp 3), Nov 7 (Kp 3), Nov 8 (Kp 2), Nov 9 (Kp 4), Nov 10 (Kp 3), Nov 11 (Kp 3), Nov 12 (Kp 3), Nov 13 (Kp 2), Nov 14 (Kp 2), Nov 15 (Kp 2), Nov 16 (Kp 3), Nov 17 (Kp 4), Nov 18 (Kp 4), Nov 19 (Kp 3), Nov 20 (Kp 2), Nov 21 (Kp 2). The outlook is rough: it repeats the Sun's 27-day rotation and misses sudden storms.
| Day (UTC) | Largest Kp | At Anchorage |
|---|---|---|
| Mon, Oct 26 | 2 | Possible |
| Tue, Oct 27 | 2 | Possible |
| Wed, Oct 28 | 2 | Possible |
| Thu, Oct 29 | 2 | Possible |
| Fri, Oct 30 | 2 | Possible |
| Sat, Oct 31 | 5 | Good chance |
| Sun, Nov 1 | 4 | Good chance |
| Mon, Nov 2 | 3 | Good chance |
| Tue, Nov 3 | 2 | Possible |
| Wed, Nov 4 | 2 | Possible |
First 10 days shown. Full table: 27-day aurora forecast.
Where to watch in Anchorage
Anchorage sees the aurora fairly often from late August to April, though city lights and coastal clouds can get in the way. A short drive up the Hillside or out to the coast puts you in much darker skies. In summer the nights are too bright for viewing.
Look north across Knik Arm or from a high pullout on the Chugach front range.
- Glen Alps Trailhead: Chugach State Park trailhead on the Anchorage Hillside, about 10 miles southeast of downtown
- Point Woronzof: coastal point on the west side of town near the airport, facing Knik Arm
- Hatcher Pass: mountain pass north of Palmer, about 60 miles north
For the darkest skies in the state, see northern lights in Alaska.
Nearby cities
Questions people ask
Can you see the northern lights in Anchorage, AK?
Yes, on active nights. From Anchorage it takes about Kp 2, which happened on about 154.1 nights a year over the last 10 years (before clouds).
What time is best?
Usually between 10 pm and 2 am local time, when the sky is fully dark and your location faces the night side of the auroral oval. Storms can bring it earlier or later.
Which way should I look?
North, toward a low, open horizon away from city lights. In strong storms the aurora can climb higher or appear overhead.
Is this an official forecast?
No. It is our estimate built from NOAA's Kp forecast, the National Weather Service sky cover forecast and the Sun and Moon positions. It is not a promise.
Sources: Kp forecast and 27-day outlook: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (public domain). Sky cover: National Weather Service (public domain). Kp archive: GFZ, CC BY 4.0. Coordinates: U.S. Census Bureau Gazetteer. Magnetic latitude: our calculation from the IGRF-14 model of Earth's magnetic field. Sun and Moon: Astronomy Engine. Unofficial estimates, not a guarantee.
Page checked: October 26, 2026.