Can I see the northern lights tonight in Anchorage?
Yes, a good chance tonight.
NOAA's forecast peaks at Kp 3 during Anchorage's dark hours tonight (6:30 pm to 7:00 am), strongest from about 9:00 pm. From Anchorage the aurora usually needs about Kp 1 to show low on the northern horizon and Kp 3 to be overhead. The Moon is 15% lit and up for 21% of the dark hours.
The next three nights
Peak Kp 3 in the dark, 6:30 pm–7:00 am. Moon 15% lit.
Peak Kp 3.67 in the dark, 6:30 pm–7:10 am. Moon 8% lit.
Peak Kp 3.67 in the dark, 6:30 pm–7:10 am. Moon 4% lit.
Kp forecast for Anchorage
NOAA planetary K-index: the past day observed, the next three days forecast, in Anchorage local time. Lines: the Kp at which the aurora usually reaches Anchorage's northern horizon, and overhead. The peak value is NOAA's estimated Kp for the 3-hour block starting 9:00 pm.
It is not dark in Anchorage yet: dark enough from 6:30 pm. The model below shows where the aurora is now, but it moves and changes strength by nightfall.
Seeing the aurora from Anchorage
Anchorage is at 61.2°N, which is magnetic latitude 61.1°: the aurora follows the magnetic pole, not the geographic one, which is why it reaches further south over North America than over Europe. In a quiet night the auroral oval stays far to the north. When a solar storm arrives the oval widens and slides south; at about Kp 1 it usually reaches low over Anchorage's northern horizon, and at Kp 3 it can be overhead.
Kp forecasts more than a day ahead are uncertain: the timing and strength of a solar storm are often only clear an hour or so before it hits, when it passes the spacecraft upstream of Earth. So a "possible" night can fizzle, and a quiet forecast can surprise. This page updates every 30 minutes. The full week's aurora forecast · What the Kp index means.
Questions
Can I see the northern lights tonight in Anchorage?
Good chance. NOAA's forecast peaks at Kp 3 during Anchorage's dark hours tonight (6:30 pm to 7:00 am), strongest from about 9:00 pm. From Anchorage the aurora usually needs about Kp 1 to show low on the northern horizon and Kp 3 to be overhead. The Moon is 15% lit and up for 21% of the dark hours. You also need clear skies to the north, which we do not forecast.
What Kp do you need to see the northern lights in Anchorage?
About Kp 1 to see the aurora low on the northern horizon, and Kp 3 for it to be overhead. Anchorage is at magnetic latitude 61.1°; the southern edge of the auroral oval sits near 66.5° at Kp 0 and moves about 2° south per Kp step.
What time is best to see the aurora?
Usually within a couple of hours of midnight local time, when your part of the Earth faces the night side of the auroral oval. During a storm it can show any time it is dark, so watch the live Kp and go out when it jumps.
Where should I look?
North. From Anchorage the aurora usually appears as a green or grey glow low over the northern horizon, rising higher only in strong storms. Get away from street lights and let your eyes adjust for 15 minutes. A phone camera on night mode often shows colour the eye cannot.
Northern lights nearby
All of Alaska →Also over Anchorage
Data: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (planetary K-index forecast, 3-day forecast, 27-day outlook, OVATION aurora model). Magnetic latitudes: AACGM-v2. Darkness and Moon computed with Skyfield and JPL DE440. We do not forecast clouds: you need a clear view to the north. How the verdict is made.