Northern lights in Fairbanks
The best months to see the northern lights in Fairbanks are late Aug to mid-Apr. At 64.8°N, a Kp of 1 is usually enough for a good show from a dark spot, and in December the sky is dark enough for about 15 hours a night.
Fairbanks sits under the auroral oval in Alaska's dry interior, and Explore Fairbanks credits low precipitation and distance from the coast for consistently clear nights. The aurora is visible an average of four out of five nights when the sky is clear and dark, and visitors staying three nights or more who are out late have better than 90 per cent odds.
- Tonight
- Checking…
- Kp for a good show
- Kp 1+
- Season
- Late Aug to mid-Apr
A notification when NOAA forecasts a storm of Kp 5 or more. Two a day at most.
Live data: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center OVATION forecast and planetary K-index, refreshed every 10 minutes. Cloud is not included, so check a local forecast before you head out.
Darkness, and the clear nights
Explore Fairbanks: aurora season runs "August 21-April 21."
Explore Fairbanks attributes the clear nights to low precipitation and the city's distance from coastal areas. Official NOAA/NWS 1991–2020 monthly sky-cover or sunshine normals for Fairbanks could not be retrieved; the NWS Fairbanks monthly normals sheets carry only temperature, precipitation and snowfall.
The best spots around Fairbanks
- Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl RefugeAbout 3 km from downtown on paved road, reachable by two-wheel drive all season except in storms.
- Murphy DomeThe highest point near Fairbanks at 877 m, about 40 km and 40 minutes out, with the last 8 km on packed gravel; four-wheel drive suggested in winter.
- Cleary SummitAt Mile 20 of the paved but steep Steese Highway, with plowed pullouts at Miles 16.6, 17 and 19; turn off headlights at the summit.
- Chena Lake Recreation AreaAbout 27 km from downtown near North Pole, with open views from River Park and Lake Park.
- Chena Hot Springs RoadA paved 93 km road to Chena Hot Springs Resort through the Chena River State Recreation Area, with turnouts at Two Rivers, Pleasant Valley and Miles 25, 35 and 37.
Getting there, and where to stay
Fairbanks International Airport (FAI) has year-round nonstop flights from Seattle on Alaska Airlines and Delta, plus summer-only United flights from Minneapolis and Chicago and a weekly summer Condor flight from Frankfurt. From Canada and the UK, connect through Seattle or Anchorage; the Parks Highway from Anchorage is a 360-mile (580 km) drive, and the Alaska Railroad runs a reduced winter service.
- Chena Hot Springs ResortA hot springs resort at the end of Chena Hot Springs Road where guests watch the aurora on the grounds or ride up to Charlie Dome's heated yurts, September through March.
- Borealis BasecampA dark-sky ridgeline property near Fairbanks with sky-view igloos whose curved windows span 16 feet across the roof, so guests can watch from bed.
- Stay at least three nights and stay up late to push your odds past 90 per cent.
- Never park on the highway; use plowed pullouts only, since soft shoulders trap vehicles.
- Use a tripod, remote shutter and manual settings with exposures of about 5 to 10 seconds, and frame a foreground of trees, hills or a cabin.
- Ask your hotel about an aurora wake-up call, and collect an Aurora Certificate at the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center.
Quick answers
When is the best time to see the northern lights in Fairbanks?
The season in Fairbanks runs late Aug to mid-Apr. Explore Fairbanks: aurora season runs "August 21-April 21." You need darkness and a clear sky: in December it is dark enough for about 15 hours a night.
Can you see the northern lights in Fairbanks tonight?
It depends on the Kp index, darkness and cloud. In Fairbanks a Kp of 1 is usually enough. The live map at the top of this page shows NOAA's current aurora forecast and Kp, refreshed every 10 minutes; check a local cloud forecast too.
When is aurora season in Fairbanks?
Explore Fairbanks gives the season as 21 August to 21 April, when nights are dark enough.
What are the odds of seeing the northern lights in Fairbanks?
The aurora is visible an average of four out of five nights when skies are clear and dark, and three-night visitors who stay out late have better than 90 per cent odds.
Where can you see the aurora near Fairbanks without a tour?
Explore Fairbanks names Creamer's Field, Chena Lake Recreation Area, Cleary Summit, Murphy Dome and Chena Hot Springs Road.
How do you fly to Fairbanks from Canada or the UK?
There are no direct flights from Canada or the UK. Connect through Seattle, which has year-round nonstops on Alaska Airlines and Delta, or through Anchorage.
What camera settings work for the aurora in Fairbanks?
Explore Fairbanks suggests a tripod, remote shutter, manual settings and exposures of about 5 to 10 seconds.
- Explore Fairbanks: aurora season
- Explore Fairbanks: northern lights viewing spots
- Explore Fairbanks: transportation
- Fairbanks International Airport: airline information
- Chena Hot Springs Resort: the aurora at Chena
- Travel Alaska: Borealis Basecamp
- NWS Fairbanks: monthly normals (September)
Checked 19 October 2026. Partner links are labelled; we may earn a commission, and it never affects what we recommend.