Northern lights in Juneau tonight
The aurora forecast for Juneau, Alaska, hour by hour: the Kp index NOAA expects, darkness, the Moon and the cloud forecast for the city.
Clouds in the way Tuesday, November 3
The highest Kp expected after dark tonight is 2. Juneau needs about Kp 2 to see the aurora low on the northern horizon, and the sky cover forecast after dark averages 100%. The Moon is 24% lit.
| Time | Sky | Kp | Clouds | Moon | Chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 PM | Twilight | 1.67 | 94% | down | Not dark yet |
| 6 PM | Dark | 2.00 | 100% | down | Clouds in the way |
| 7 PM | Dark | 2.00 | 100% | down | Clouds in the way |
| 8 PM | Dark | 2.00 | 100% | down | Clouds in the way |
| 9 PM | Dark | 1.67 | 100% | down | Clouds in the way |
| 10 PM | Dark | 1.67 | 100% | down | Clouds in the way |
| 11 PM | Dark | 1.67 | 100% | down | Clouds in the way |
| 12 AM | Dark | 1.33 | 100% | down | Clouds in the way |
| 1 AM | Dark | 1.33 | 100% | down | Clouds in the way |
| 2 AM | Dark | 1.33 | 100% | 3° | Clouds in the way |
| 3 AM | Dark | 1.33 | 100% | 10° | Clouds in the way |
| 4 AM | Dark | 1.33 | 100% | 17° | Clouds in the way |
| 5 AM | Dark | 1.33 | 100% | 23° | Clouds in the way |
| 6 AM | Twilight | 0.67 | 94% | 29° | 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 Juneau
The farther north (in magnetic terms) you stand, the lower the Kp you need. From Juneau, 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 Juneau
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 Juneau. Clouds are not counted, so the real number of nights with a visible aurora is lower. Over the last 10 years the average was 161.4 nights a year; in 2025 it was 219.
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 26 days with a largest Kp close to or above what Juneau needs: 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 5), Nov 18 (Kp 5), Nov 19 (Kp 3), Nov 20 (Kp 2), Nov 21 (Kp 2), Nov 22 (Kp 2), Nov 23 (Kp 2), Nov 24 (Kp 2), Nov 25 (Kp 2), Nov 26 (Kp 3), Nov 27 (Kp 5), Nov 28 (Kp 5). The outlook is rough: it repeats the Sun's 27-day rotation and misses sudden storms.
| Day (UTC) | Largest Kp | At Juneau |
|---|---|---|
| Tue, Nov 3 | 2 | Possible |
| Wed, Nov 4 | 2 | Possible |
| Thu, Nov 5 | 3 | Good chance |
| Fri, Nov 6 | 3 | Good chance |
| Sat, Nov 7 | 3 | Good chance |
| Sun, Nov 8 | 2 | Possible |
| Mon, Nov 9 | 4 | Good chance |
| Tue, Nov 10 | 3 | Good chance |
| Wed, Nov 11 | 3 | Good chance |
| Thu, Nov 12 | 3 | Good chance |
First 10 days shown. Full table: 27-day aurora forecast.
Where to watch in Juneau
Juneau sits close to the auroral zone, but it is one of the cloudiest capitals in the country. When a clear night lines up with activity between late August and April, displays can be bright and high in the sky. Mountains crowd the town, so open water and valley floors matter.
Look north up the Mendenhall Valley or out over Lynn Canal, away from downtown.
- Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area: Tongass National Forest area at Mendenhall Lake, about 12 miles north of downtown
- Point Bridget State Park: coastal state park on Lynn Canal, about 38 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 Juneau, AK?
Yes, on active nights. From Juneau it takes about Kp 2, which happened on about 161.4 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: November 3, 2026.