Aurora Tonight

Whether it's worth heading out for the northern lights tonight — NOAA's space-weather model, the real darkness and the season, in plain words.

Tonight

Possible — keep an eye out

There’s a chance. Worth a glance outside if you’re up, especially well away from town lights.

Skies look mostly clear over the dark hours.

11%

Overhead chance now

NOAA’s modelled chance of aurora directly overhead

1.7

Expected Kp tonight

Planetary activity — higher means a stronger, wider display

Darkest 23:30–04:00

Skies

Night

Dark hours

Expected Kp

Sky

Mon, Aug 24

23:30–04:00

1.3

Patchy

Tue, Aug 25

23:20–04:10

1.7

Patchy

Wed, Aug 26

23:20–04:10

1.7

—

If you go out

Get away from the city's lights — a few minutes' drive toward darker sky makes a real difference.

Look north, but a strong display can fill the whole sky.

Let your eyes adjust for 15–20 minutes and avoid looking at your phone screen.

Dress for the cold — clear winter nights here can sit around -30°C or lower.

Check the cloud forecast first; a clear sky matters as much as the space weather.

Worth knowing

Roughly 240 viewing nights a year

Yellowknife is one of the most reliable places on Earth to see the northern lights. In a typical year the sky is clear and dark enough on the order of 240 nights, and because the city lies under the auroral oval the lights appear at low geomagnetic activity — you don't need a big storm. The catch is the season: there is no real darkness around midsummer.

Get away from the city's glow

Downtown light spill dims the fainter arcs and colour. A short drive out the Ingraham Trail, down to the lakeshore, or to any dark spot with an open view to the north makes an ordinary night look far better. Give your eyes 15–20 minutes to adjust.

Why the lights matter here

Aurora viewing is one of Yellowknife's defining draws and a growing part of the local economy as the diamond mines wind down. People travel from around the world for these skies — but the same show is free from the edge of town on a clear, dark night.

Aurora Tonight

Aurora Tonight

About these tools

Tonight

The next few nights

If you go out

Worth knowing

Roughly 240 viewing nights a year

Get away from the city's glow

Why the lights matter here