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Rule Northern Lights

Northern Lights Forecast for Alaska

Alaska, United States

Alaska aurora photography forecast for Fairbanks, Coldfoot, and Denali, combining auroral activity with darkness, cloud, and visibility conditions.

26 matching opportunities in the 14-day forecast.

Upcoming Opportunities

When all conditions match, PhotoWeather marks an opportunity window.

Times shown in America/Anchorage

First upcoming window

Fair Chance of Aurora

Valdez

Wed, Sep 23 · 21:00–22:00 · 1h window

Low confidence

35%

🌌Aurora Quality50.1%

Kp Index: Kp 5 (Minor Storm)

Sun Elevation: -10.2° (Nautical twilight)

Cloud Cover: 27%

Fair Chance of Aurora

Anchorage

Wed, Sep 23 · 21:00–22:00

🌌Aurora Quality:50.2%

Low

Good Chance of Aurora

Denali

Wed, Sep 23 · 21:00–06:00

🌌Aurora Quality:57.9-72.2%

Low

Good Chance of Aurora

Talkeetna

Wed, Sep 23 · 21:00–24:00

🌌Aurora Quality:51-65.6%

Low

Fair Chance of Aurora

Girdwood

Wed, Sep 23 · 21:00–22:00

🌌Aurora Quality:51.1%

Low

Excellent Chance of Aurora

North Pole

Wed, Sep 23 · 22:00–06:00

🌌Aurora Quality:90.2-95%

Low

Good Chance of Aurora

Anchorage

Wed, Sep 23 · 23:00–03:00

🌌Aurora Quality:56.1-66%

Low

+19 more windows in the next 14 days

Location status

0 of 10 locations matching now

Fairbanks

Fairbanks overlooks the Tanana Valley, where spruce forest, frozen rivers, and low ridges provide dark, uncluttered foregrounds for aurora.

Fairbanks, Alaska, United States

Blocked by: Total Cloud Coverage too high (99%, ≤ 30.0%)

Next opportunity in ~4 days 6h

4 opportunities in the 14-day forecast

Denali

Denali rises 6,190 metres above tundra and the Alaska Range, with braided rivers and lower ridges emphasizing its exceptional vertical scale.

Healy, Alaska, United States

Blocked by: Total Cloud Coverage too high (100%, ≤ 30.0%)

Next opportunity in ~4 days

2 opportunities in the 14-day forecast

Coldfoot

Coldfoot sits in sparse boreal forest below the Brooks Range, with the Dalton corridor opening onto river valleys, tundra, and very dark skies.

Coldfoot, Alaska, United States

Blocked by: Visibility too low (3km, ≥ 8000.0m)

Next opportunity in ~5 days 1h

2 opportunities in the 14-day forecast

Chena Hot Springs

Chena Hot Springs combines snow-covered spruce, geothermal steam, and open northern sky, giving aurora scenes a distinctive warm-cold contrast.

Chena Hot Springs, Alaska, United States

Blocked by: Total Cloud Coverage too high (88%, ≤ 30.0%)

Next opportunity in ~4 days 4h

4 opportunities in the 14-day forecast

Talkeetna

Talkeetna stands near the confluence of three rivers, with gravel bars and broad water channels framing distant Denali and the Alaska Range.

Talkeetna, Alaska, United States

Blocked by: Total Cloud Coverage too high (100%, ≤ 30.0%)

Next opportunity in ~4 days

1 opportunity in the 14-day forecast

North Pole

East of Fairbanks, North Pole is surrounded by flat boreal forest and sloughs, with dark pullouts beyond town for aurora above snow-coated spruce.

North Pole, Alaska, United States

Blocked by: Total Cloud Coverage too high (94%, ≤ 30.0%)

Next opportunity in ~4 days 1h

4 opportunities in the 14-day forecast

Delta Junction

Delta Junction’s open agricultural flats reveal long views toward the Alaska Range, with wind-shaped snow and sparse trees beneath Interior skies.

Delta Junction, Alaska, United States

Blocked by: Total Cloud Coverage too high (100%, ≤ 30.0%)

Next opportunity in ~4 days 4h

2 opportunities in the 14-day forecast

Anchorage

Anchorage pairs the tidal flats of Cook Inlet with the Chugach Mountains, while winter city lights and alpenglow add scale to the skyline.

Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Blocked by: Total Cloud Coverage too high (99%, ≤ 30.0%)

Next opportunity in ~4 days

3 opportunities in the 14-day forecast

Girdwood

Girdwood occupies a narrow rainforest valley beneath the Chugach Mountains, where heavy snow, steep ridges, and Turnagain Arm dominate compositions.

Girdwood, Alaska, United States

Blocked by: Visibility too low (2km, ≥ 8000.0m)

Next opportunity in ~4 days

1 opportunity in the 14-day forecast

Valdez

Valdez lies beneath steep, heavily glaciated mountains at Prince William Sound, combining harbour water, waterfalls, and deep maritime snow.

Valdez, Alaska, United States

Blocked by: Total Cloud Coverage too high (100%, ≤ 30.0%)

Next opportunity in ~4 days

3 opportunities in the 14-day forecast

What's blocking opportunities

95-hour forecast horizon; times in America/Anchorage.

Top 5 blocking conditions across 10 of 10 locations

Some blocked

Most blocked

18 Fri

19 Sat

20 Sun

21 Mon

22 Tue

24

06

12

18

24

06

12

18

24

06

12

18

24

06

12

18

Aurora Activity (≥ 50.0%)

100% blocked

Aurora Quality (≥ 50.0%)

100% blocked

Total Cloud Coverage (≤ 30.0%)

98% blocked

Solar Elevation (≤ -8.0°)

61% blocked

Visibility (≥ 8000.0m)

32% 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 95-hour forecast.

Interior Alaska sits beneath the auroral oval, but a strong space-weather signal is useful only when darkness, cloud, and visibility also cooperate. The forecast combines NOAA's OVATION model with those local constraints rather than treating Kp alone as a photography opportunity.

Alaska's interior sits directly under the auroral oval, making it one of the world's most reliable aurora viewing destinations. Fairbanks, in particular, experiences aurora activity on roughly 240 nights per year—more than almost anywhere else accessible by road.

What makes Alaska special for aurora photography:

Auroral oval position - Fairbanks sits at the ideal 65°N latitude, directly under the oval's typical position
Extreme darkness - Winter nights can last 18+ hours, maximizing viewing opportunities
Dramatic foregrounds - Snow-covered mountains, frozen rivers, and boreal forests create stunning compositions
Research heritage - The University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute provides world-class aurora forecasting

Best conditions typically occur September through March, with peak activity during the equinox months. The interior's continental climate means clearer skies than coastal areas, though temperatures can plunge well below -30°C. Dress accordingly and keep camera batteries warm.

How this forecast is made

Opportunities are threshold-based signals: PhotoWeather checks whether forecast conditions match the rules for a photography scenario. They are planning guidance, not guarantees. Forecasts can change as new model runs arrive, and confidence generally decreases farther into the forecast horizon, so recheck conditions before travelling.

The weather forecast foundation comes through Open-Meteo , which aggregates models from weather agencies. PhotoWeather applies condition-specific thresholds and derived calculations; not every condition uses every model or data input.

How opportunities work → Weather data sources →

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