Northern lights in Sudbury tonight
Northern Ontario, Canada · 55° magnetic latitude · Kp 5 threshold
Kp 1 is well below the Kp 5 threshold needed for aurora to be visible from Sudbury.
7-day outlook for Sudbury
Based on CME arrival predictions from NASA DONKI. Arrival times ±6 hours.
auroratonight.space
What Kp is needed here?
Sudbury sits at a magnetic latitude of approximately 55°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 5 before the auroral oval expands far enough south to be visible from here.
At Kp 5, 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
Get directions ↗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
Get directions ↗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 5 storm develops.
Onaping Falls
Get directions ↗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
At 55°N magnetic latitude, Sudbury sits at the lower end of regular aurora territory. Only the deep mid-winter months of November through January offer nights dark enough for aurora to be visible, and only then when a significant geomagnetic storm pushes the auroral oval this far south.
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.
Outside November through January, twilight is too bright for aurora viewing even during significant storms. The season is short, but the equinox months on either side of winter can extend it slightly when storm timing aligns.
Up to 8 locations
How often does the aurora appear in Sudbury?
Average nights per month the Kp reached Sudbury's threshold of 5+, from 15 years of geomagnetic data (2010–2024).
Counts the Kp 5+ threshold only - cloud cover and local darkness are not included.
Kp data: GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, CC BY 4.0
Plan your trip to Sudbury
Best window
The August to October window averages 4 aurora nights - the strongest consecutive stretch of the year.
How long to stay
Aurora at this latitude requires patience - allow as many nights as possible during March.
Related pages
Northern Lights Canada
Canada-wide aurora forecast hub.
Read →Northern Lights Thunder Bay Tonight
Thunder Bay - Lake Superior and Sleeping Giant.
Read →Northern Lights Winnipeg Tonight
Winnipeg - prairie aurora with high clear-sky rates.
Read →Northern Lights Churchill Tonight
Churchill - the auroral oval in sub-Arctic Manitoba.
Read →What Is the Kp Index?
What Kp 5 means for viewing at 55° geomagnetic latitude.
Read →Aurora photographs from Sudbury
Real photos sourced from Wikimedia Commons.
Aurora over Sudbury 
Aurora over Sudbury 
Aurora over Sudbury 
Aurora over Sudbury 
Aurora over Sudbury 
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Travel Guide Canada Northern Lights Canada - Complete Travel Guide
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Travel Guide All destinations How to Plan a Northern Lights Trip
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Planning All destinations Best Time to See the Northern Lights
Month-by-month breakdown of aurora probability, darkness windows, and weather patterns.
