Where the sky is working tonight
One score per destination: darkness, solar activity, clouds and moonlight combined into the chance of actually seeing the northern lights tonight. Updated every half hour from NOAA and Open-Meteo data.
When should you book?
Tonight's forecast only matters once you are there. For choosing when to go, here is each destination's best month — the share of nights offering a real viewing window, computed from 30 years of geomagnetic records and 10 years of local cloud history.
- TromsøOctober 33%full year
- YellowknifeFebruary 65%full year
- AbiskoMarch 26%full year
- FairbanksJanuary 53%full year
- KirunaMarch 46%full year
- Lofoten IslandsMarch 36%full year
- ReykjavíkJanuary 32%full year
- RovaniemiMarch 36%full year
Torn between two places? Compare them head to head — Tromsø vs Reykjavík, Yellowknife vs Fairbanks, or any pair from a destination's page.
Before you plan
What actually ruins most aurora trips?
Clouds — not quiet solar activity. A strong display above an overcast sky is worth nothing, which is why the score here multiplies cloud cover into the verdict and names it plainly when it is the problem. If you remember one thing: plan around the cloud forecast, chase gaps, and give yourself several nights.
What Kp index do I need to see the northern lights?
It depends entirely on where you stand. Yellowknife sits almost under the auroral oval and often needs only Kp 0-1; Tromsø typically needs Kp 1; Reykjavík more like Kp 2. That is why this site scores each destination against its own threshold instead of quoting one global number — a "low" Kp night can still be a great night in the right place.
Is this a good year to go?
Yes — the current solar cycle peaked recently and the declining phase that follows historically produces some of the strongest storms, with elevated activity typically lasting a few years past maximum. Within any year, the weeks around the equinoxes (March and September) run geomagnetically hottest; the records behind our monthly odds show it clearly.
More of these — moonlight, phone cameras, whether tours are worth it — in the full FAQ.