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Rule Dark Skies

Dark Skies - Alaska

Alaska, United States

Aurora forecast for Alaska. Track Northern Lights viewing conditions at Fairbanks, Denali, and the Arctic with real-time aurora, cloud cover, and darkness data.

Upcoming Opportunities

When all conditions match, PhotoWeather marks an opportunity window.

Times shown in America/Anchorage
Next opportunity
Pristine Dark Skies (pristine)
Talkeetna
Today · 09:00–23:00 · 14h window
Medium confidence
51%
🌛Moon Altitude-0.1-6.1°
☁️Total Cloud Coverage3.3%
starry-night weather icon
Pristine Dark Skies (pristine)
Coldfoot
Today · 10:00–24:00
🌛Moon Altitude:-1-8.8°
Medium
starry-night weather icon
Pristine Dark Skies (pristine)
Denali
Today · 21:04–23:00
🌛Moon Altitude:0.1-6°
Medium
starry-night weather icon
Good Dark Skies
Coldfoot
Tomorrow · 06:00–07:00
🌛Moon Altitude:8.1°
Medium
starry-night weather icon
Good Dark Skies at Dawn
Fairbanks
Tomorrow · 06:00–07:00
🌛Moon Altitude:8.8°
Medium
starry-night weather icon
Pristine Dark Skies (pristine)
Denali
Tomorrow · 06:00–07:00
🌛Moon Altitude:9.9°
Medium
starry-night weather icon
Pristine Dark Skies (pristine) at Dawn
Chena Hot Springs
Tomorrow · 06:00–07:00
🌛Moon Altitude:8.1°
Medium
+43 more windows in the next 10 days

Location status

2 of 10 locations currently active

Fairbanks

Inactive

Interior Alaska aurora capital

Fairbanks, Alaska, United States

Right now: Total Cloud Coverage too high (98%, ≤ 20.0%)

Next opportunity in ~14h 5m

2 opportunities in next 10 days

View forecast

Denali

Inactive

Highest peak in North America with dark skies

Healy, Alaska, United States

Right now: Astronomical Night: Outside time window

Next opportunity in ~5h 10m

6 opportunities in next 10 days

View forecast

Coldfoot

Active

Arctic Circle gateway on the Dalton Highway

Coldfoot, Alaska, United States

Ends in ~8h 5m

22 opportunities in next 10 days

View forecast

Chena Hot Springs

Inactive

Hot springs resort with dedicated aurora viewing areas

Chena Hot Springs, Alaska, United States

Right now: Total Cloud Coverage too high (100%, ≤ 20.0%)

Next opportunity in ~14h 5m

3 opportunities in next 10 days

View forecast

Talkeetna

Active

Mountain town with stunning Denali views

Talkeetna, Alaska, United States

Ends in ~7h 5m

14 opportunities in next 10 days

View forecast

North Pole

Inactive

Ironically named town with excellent aurora viewing

North Pole, Alaska, United States

Right now: Total Cloud Coverage too high (100%, ≤ 20.0%)

Next opportunity in ~15h 5m

3 opportunities in next 10 days

View forecast

Delta Junction

Inactive

Eastern interior with reliable clear skies

Delta Junction, Alaska, United States

Right now: Total Cloud Coverage too high (100%, ≤ 20.0%)

Next opportunity in ~6 days 20h

1 opportunity in next 10 days

View forecast

Anchorage

Inactive

Urban access to Chugach State Park dark skies

Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Right now: Astronomical Night: Outside time window

Next opportunity in ~5 days 23h

3 opportunities in next 10 days

View forecast

Girdwood

Inactive

Mountain town with Alyeska Resort views

Girdwood, Alaska, United States

Right now: Astronomical Night: Outside time window

Next opportunity in ~5 days 14h

9 opportunities in next 10 days

View forecast

Valdez

Inactive

Coastal aurora with Prince William Sound backdrop

Valdez, Alaska, United States

Right now: Astronomical Night: Outside time window

Next opportunity in ~6 days 2h

8 opportunities in next 10 days

View forecast

What's blocking opportunities

72-hour view of conditions preventing matches across 10 locations

Top 5 blocking conditions across 10 of 10 locations
Some blocked
Most blocked
3 Tue
4 Wed
5 Thu
6 Fri
7 Sat
18
24
06
12
18
24
06
12
18
24
06
12
18
24
06
12
Moon Illumination (≤ 35.0%)
100% blocked
Total Cloud Coverage (≤ 20.0%)
70% blocked
Precipitation Chance (≤ 10.0%)
47% blocked
Visibility (≥ 12000.0m)
39% blocked
Moon Altitude (≤ 10.0°)
24% blocked
How to read: Each row shows when a condition blocks opportunities. Stronger red means more locations are affected. These are the top 5 conditions preventing matches across the 72-hour forecast.

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