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Northern lights Sudbury tonight

Sudbury sits at 58°N magnetic latitude in northern Ontario - one of the highest magnetic latitudes of any Canadian city east of Manitoba. The Kp threshold is 3 from dark sites north of the city. Boreal lake-and-rock terrain surrounds the city on all sides. Killarney Provincial Park on Georgian Bay, three hours south, is one of Ontario's finest dark sky positions. Best season: August to April.

Aurora visibility - Sudbury

Unlikely tonight

Kp 1 is well below the Kp 3 threshold needed for aurora to be visible from Sudbury.

Current Kp

of 9

Threshold for Sudbury: Kp 3 Magnetic latitude: ~58°N Updated: 15 May, 19:39 UTC

↓ Bz — nT Solar wind — km/s Density — p/cm³ ☁ —%

Conditions right now: — Kp + Bz + solar wind + cloud + moon

7-day outlook for Sudbury

Today

15 May

Quiet

Tomorrow

16 May

Quiet

Sun

17 May

Quiet

Mon

18 May

Quiet

Tue

19 May

Quiet

Wed

20 May

Quiet

Thu

21 May

Quiet

Based on CME arrival predictions from NASA DONKI. Arrival times ±6 hours.

What Kp is needed here?

Sudbury sits at a magnetic latitude of approximately 58°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 3 before the auroral oval expands far enough south to be visible from here.

At Kp 3, visibility is possible from Sudbury 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 Sudbury

Light pollution is the biggest obstacle after cloud cover. These sites give you the best dark northern horizon within reach.

Killarney Provincial Park

3 hours south of Sudbury on the Georgian Bay shore, widely considered one of Ontario's most spectacular parks. The white quartzite ridges and lake-dotted terrain give exceptional dark sky. Bortle 2-3 conditions at the interior campsites. The park is accessible by car via Killarney town; canoe camping extends further into the interior.

Fairbank Provincial Park

30 minutes north of Sudbury on Highway 144, a small boreal lake park with campsite access and north-facing shoreline. Significantly darker than the city without needing a long drive. The lake gives open north sky above the treeline. A practical option for evening aurora checks when a Kp 3-4 event develops.

Onaping Falls

40 minutes northwest of Sudbury on Highway 144, where the Onaping River drops through a boreal gorge. The riverside positions face north with no significant settlements in that direction. The falls area is accessible year-round and the rock outcrops above the gorge give clear sky.

Best time to see the northern lights in Sudbury

Sudbury's aurora season runs from late September through to March, when nights are long enough for truly dark skies. The equinox months, September and March, bring a natural boost in geomagnetic activity, making them statistically the best of the season. Summer months bring too much twilight for aurora to be visible at this latitude.

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

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 Sudbury's latitude.

April through August brings persistent astronomical twilight that washes out aurora completely. Even strong events (Kp 6+) remain invisible during this period because the sky never gets dark enough.

Other Canada aurora forecasts

← Canada overview

Thunder Bay

Unlikely

Northwestern Ontario, Lake Superior north shore

~57°N mag. lat. Kp 3-4

Winnipeg

Unlikely

Manitoba prairie capital, Lake Winnipeg dark sky

~58°N mag. lat. Kp 3

Churchill

Possible

Sub-Arctic Manitoba, auroral oval

~69°N mag. lat. Kp 1-2

Northern Lights Canada

Canada-wide aurora forecast hub.

Northern Lights Thunder Bay Tonight

Thunder Bay - Lake Superior and Sleeping Giant.

Northern Lights Winnipeg Tonight

Winnipeg - prairie aurora with high clear-sky rates.

Northern Lights Churchill Tonight

Churchill - the auroral oval in sub-Arctic Manitoba.

What Is the Kp Index?

What Kp 3 means for viewing at 58°N magnetic latitude.

Common questions

Aurora in Sudbury - northern Ontario at 58°N magnetic latitude.

Can you see the northern lights from Sudbury?

Yes, frequently. Sudbury sits at 58°N magnetic latitude in northern Ontario - the Kp index, a global measure of geomagnetic activity on a scale from 0 (quiet) to 9 (extreme storm) updated every 3 hours, only needs to reach 3 from dark sites north of the city. At solar maximum, that level is reached on many nights per year. The boreal rock-and-lake terrain around Sudbury provides meaningful dark sky within 30-40 minutes of the city centre.

How often is aurora visible from Sudbury?

During solar maximum, the Kp 3 threshold is met on many nights per year. Sudbury's northern Ontario position and continental climate produce clearer skies than eastern coastal cities. The city is not a rarity for aurora - residents who monitor the Kp index and get out of the city on active nights see aurora multiple times per season. Killarney Provincial Park, three hours south on Georgian Bay, is one of Ontario's finest dark sky positions for longer excursions.

What makes Sudbury good for aurora?

The primary factor is magnetic latitude. At 58°N magnetic, Sudbury sits higher than most major Ontario cities. Boreal forest extends in all directions from the urban area, meaning dark sky is accessible with a short drive. Killarney Provincial Park gives Bortle 2-3 conditions - among the darkest skies within reach of any large Ontario city. The combination of high magnetic latitude and accessible dark sky is unusual at this distance from the auroral oval.

How does Sudbury compare to Thunder Bay for aurora?

Sudbury has a marginally higher magnetic latitude - 58°N versus Thunder Bay's 57°N - giving it a fractionally lower Kp threshold. In practice, the difference between the two cities on any given night is negligible. Thunder Bay has the advantage of Lake Superior's dark northern water horizon, which gives an unobstructed view of low-elevation aurora that an inland site cannot replicate. Sudbury's advantage is Killarney Provincial Park - a premium dark sky site with no equivalent near Thunder Bay.

When is the best time for aurora in Sudbury?

August to April. The sky becomes dark enough from mid-August. March and September are the strongest months geomagnetically - the equinoxes consistently produce elevated activity across the solar cycle. Autumn tends to give the best combination of clear skies and geomagnetic activity. Winter months offer long dark nights but cloud cover increases through December and January in northern Ontario.