Northern lights in Northwest Territories tonight
Northwest Territories, Canada · Kp 1 from Yellowknife · 67° magnetic latitude
Kp 1 is at the threshold for Northwest Territories. Aurora may be visible from a dark site if cloud cover permits.
7-day outlook for Northwest Territories
Tonight shows the live Kp reading. The nights after it show the Kp expected from any coronal mass ejection DONKI predicts will arrive that day, and a quiet baseline of Kp 2 where no arrival is forecast.
Based on CME arrival predictions from NASA DONKI. Arrival times ±6 hours.
auroratonight.space
What Kp is needed here?
Northwest Territories's threshold comes from Yellowknife, at a magnetic latitude of approximately 67°N. The Kp index - a global measure of geomagnetic activity on a scale from 0 (quiet) to 9 (extreme storm), updated every 3 hours - needs to reach Kp 1 before the auroral oval expands far enough south to be visible from Yellowknife.
At Kp 1, visibility is possible from Northwest Territories but skies need to be clear and dark. Cloud cover and light pollution remain the main obstacles even when Kp is high enough.
Best dark sky sites near Northwest Territories
Light pollution is the biggest obstacle after cloud cover. These sites give you the best dark northern horizon within reach.
Aurora Village, near Yellowknife
Get directions ↗A dedicated aurora viewing facility with heated teepees in open boreal forest. Yellowknife's Kp 1 threshold - the territory's own registered figure - is enough here on most clear nights.
Prelude Lake Territorial Park, near Yellowknife
Get directions ↗A year-round accessible lake shore east of the city with an open north-facing horizon across frozen water in winter.
Blachford Lake Lodge, fly-in wilderness
Get directions ↗A remote fly-in lodge with no roads and no competing light for many kilometres in any direction.
Best time to see the northern lights in Northwest Territories
Its threshold set by Yellowknife at about 67°N magnetic latitude, Northwest Territories has one of the longest aurora seasons in the world. Meaningful darkness returns in late August and displays are possible on almost any clear night from September through March. Only the endless daylight of May, June, and July rules out viewing completely.
Activity peaks around the September and March equinoxes, when Earth's magnetic field geometry is most favourable for coupling with the solar wind. Events during these two windows tend to produce the strongest displays of the year for observers at Northwest Territories's latitude.
May through July is effectively impossible for aurora viewing: the midnight sun keeps the sky bright around the clock at this latitude. No storm level, not even G5, can produce a visible display without astronomical darkness.
Other Canada aurora forecasts
Up to 8 locations
Related pages
Northern Lights Canada
Canada-wide aurora forecast hub.
Read →Northern Lights Yellowknife Tonight
Yellowknife - aurora capital of North America, Kp 1 threshold.
Read →Northern Lights Yukon
Yukon-wide aurora hub, Whitehorse and Dawson City.
Read →What Is the Kp Index?
Why Kp 1 is enough directly beneath the auroral oval.
Read →Aurora photographs from Northwest Territories
Real photos sourced from Wikimedia Commons.
Aurora over Northwest Territories
Aurora over Northwest Territories
Aurora over Northwest Territories
Aurora over Northwest Territories
Aurora over Northwest Territories
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