Aurora Borealis in Canada
333 places with a forecast · Kp 3 to 7 · updated daily
Aurora borealis forecasts in Canada
There is no single aurora borealis forecast for Canada, and any number offered as one would be wrong almost everywhere in it. The auroral oval reaches part of the country on a quiet night and the rest of it only during a storm: Fort McMurray needs Kp 3, while Montréal needs Kp 7 — a storm level that arrives a fraction as often.
So this page is a directory rather than a forecast. Each of the 333 places below has its own page with tonight’s hourly odds, the next 30 nights, and the drive to darker sky that matters more than the forecast does.
Where the aurora borealis is visible on the most nights in Canada
Counting only nights when the storm was strong enough for that location and the sky there was dark enough at the same time. That is why the far north of Canada does not automatically top the list: the closer a place is to the pole, the more of its summer never gets dark at all.
| Place | Kp needed | Nights / year |
|---|---|---|
| Fort McMurray | Kp 3 | 132.4 |
| Whitehorse | Kp 3 | 121.7 |
| Yellowknife | Kp 3 | 117.7 |
| Baie-Comeau | Kp 5 | 27.2 |
| Kenora | Kp 5 | 26.4 |
| Winnipeg | Kp 5 | 26.3 |
| Sept-Îles | Kp 5 | 26.2 |
| Regina | Kp 5 | 26.0 |
NOAA planetary Kp, 2016-04-02 to 2026-03-30
Every place in Canada with a forecast
All 333 of them, grouped by region, with the Kp each one needs before the aurora borealis clears its northern horizon. Lower is better.
Alberta
- AirdrieKp 7
- Auburn BayKp 7
- BeltlineKp 7
- CalgaryKp 7
- CamroseKp 5
- CochraneKp 7
- EdmontonKp 5
- Fort McMurrayKp 3
- Grande PrairieKp 5
- LeducKp 5
- LethbridgeKp 7
- LloydminsterKp 5
- Medicine HatKp 7
- Red DeerKp 5
- Sherwood ParkKp 5
- Spruce GroveKp 5
- St. AlbertKp 5
British Columbia
- AbbotsfordKp 7
- Arbutus RidgeKp 7
- BlundellKp 7
- Brighouse-City CentreKp 7
- BroadmoorKp 7
- BrocklehurstKp 7
- BurnabyKp 7
- Campbell RiverKp 7
- CareyKp 7
- Central LonsdaleKp 7
- Central SaanichKp 7
- ChilliwackKp 7
- Chilliwack-DowntownKp 7
- ChinatownKp 7
- CloverdaleKp 7
- ColwoodKp 7
- CoquitlamKp 7
- CourtenayKp 7
- CranbrookKp 7
- DeltaKp 7
- DowntownKp 7
- Downtown EastsideKp 7
- Dunbar-SouthlandsKp 7
- DuncanKp 7
- East HastingsKp 7
- EdmondsKp 7
- EsquimaltKp 7
- FairviewKp 7
- FleetwoodKp 7
- Fort St. JohnKp 5
- Fraser HeightsKp 7
- Gordon HeadKp 7
- Grandview-WoodlandsKp 7
- GuildfordKp 7
- HaneyKp 7
- HarewoodKp 7
- Hastings-SunriseKp 7
- KamloopsKp 7
- KelownaKp 7
- Kensington-Cedar CottageKp 7
- KillarneyKp 7
- KitsilanoKp 7
- LadnerKp 7
- LangfordKp 7
- LangleyKp 7
- LougheedKp 7
- Lower LonsdaleKp 7
- MaillardvilleKp 7
- Maple RidgeKp 7
- MarpoleKp 7
- MaywoodKp 7
- MetrotownKp 7
- MissionKp 7
- Mount PleasantKp 7
- NanaimoKp 7
- New WestminsterKp 7
- NewtonKp 7
- North CowichanKp 7
- North DeltaKp 7
- North VancouverKp 7
- Oak BayKp 7
- Okanagan MissionKp 7
- PentictonKp 7
- Pitt MeadowsKp 7
- Port AlberniKp 7
- Port CoquitlamKp 7
- Port MoodyKp 7
- Prince GeorgeKp 5
- Renfrew-CollingwoodKp 7
- RichmondKp 7
- Riley ParkKp 7
- RutlandKp 7
- SaanichKp 7
- SeafairKp 7
- South GranvilleKp 7
- South SurreyKp 7
- SquamishKp 7
- StevestonKp 7
- SunsetKp 7
- SurreyKp 7
- Surrey City CentreKp 7
- TerraceKp 5
- TownlineKp 7
- TsawwassenKp 7
- University Endowment LandsKp 7
- VancouverKp 7
- Vedder CrossingKp 7
- VernonKp 7
- VictoriaKp 7
- Victoria-DowntownKp 7
- Victoria-FraserviewKp 7
- Walnut GroveKp 7
- West EndKp 7
- West KelownaKp 7
- West VancouverKp 7
- Westwood PlateauKp 7
- WhalleyKp 7
- White RockKp 7
- WilloughbyKp 7
New Brunswick
- DieppeKp 7
- EdmundstonKp 7
- FrederictonKp 7
- Lutes MountainKp 7
- MiramichiKp 7
- MonctonKp 7
- QuispamsisKp 7
- RiverviewKp 7
- Saint JohnKp 7
Newfoundland and Labrador
- Conception Bay SouthKp 7
- Corner BrookKp 7
- Mount PearlKp 7
- ParadiseKp 7
- St. John'sKp 7
Nova Scotia
- Cole HarbourKp 7
- DartmouthKp 7
- Glace BayKp 7
- HalifaxKp 7
- Lower SackvilleKp 7
- New GlasgowKp 7
- SydneyKp 7
Ontario
- Agincourt NorthKp 7
- Agincourt South-Malvern WestKp 7
- AjaxKp 7
- AllistonKp 7
- AuroraKp 7
- Banbury-Don MillsKp 7
- BarrieKp 7
- Bathurst ManorKp 7
- Bayview VillageKp 7
- Bedford Park-NortownKp 7
- BellevilleKp 7
- BendaleKp 7
- Black CreekKp 7
- BowmanvilleKp 7
- BracebridgeKp 7
- BrockvilleKp 7
- CaledonKp 7
- Clanton ParkKp 7
- Clarence-RocklandKp 7
- CobourgKp 7
- CollingwoodKp 7
- CornwallKp 7
- Don Valley VillageKp 7
- Dorset ParkKp 7
- Downsview-Roding-CFBKp 7
- East GwillimburyKp 7
- Eglinton EastKp 7
- FallingbrookKp 7
- Glenfield-Jane HeightsKp 7
- Greater NapaneeKp 7
- Greater SudburyKp 7
- Henry FarmKp 7
- Hillcrest VillageKp 7
- HumbermedeKp 7
- HuntsvilleKp 7
- InnisfilKp 7
- KanataKp 7
- KenoraKp 5
- KeswickKp 7
- KingstonKp 7
- L'AmoreauxKp 7
- Lansing-WestgateKp 7
- LindsayKp 7
- MalvernKp 7
- MarkhamKp 7
- MidlandKp 7
- MillikenKp 7
- MorningsideKp 7
- Mount Olive-Silverstone-JamestownKp 7
- NepeanKp 7
- NewmarketKp 7
- Newtonbrook EastKp 7
- Newtonbrook WestKp 7
- North BayKp 7
- OrangevilleKp 7
- OrilliaKp 7
- OshawaKp 7
- OttawaKp 7
- Owen SoundKp 7
- Parkwoods-DonaldaKp 7
- PetawawaKp 7
- PeterboroughKp 7
- PickeringKp 7
- Pleasant ViewKp 7
- Prince EdwardKp 7
- Quinte WestKp 7
- Richmond HillKp 7
- RougeKp 7
- Sault Ste. MarieKp 7
- Scarborough VillageKp 7
- St. Andrew-WindfieldsKp 7
- SteelesKp 7
- StouffvilleKp 7
- Tam O'Shanter-SullivanKp 7
- Thunder BayKp 7
- TimminsKp 7
- UxbridgeKp 7
- Valley EastKp 7
- VanierKp 7
- VaughanKp 7
- Victoria VillageKp 7
- Wasaga BeachKp 7
- West HillKp 7
- Westminster-BransonKp 7
- Wexford/MaryvaleKp 7
- WhitbyKp 7
- Whitchurch-StouffvilleKp 7
- WillowdaleKp 7
- Willowdale EastKp 7
- Willowdale WestKp 7
- WoburnKp 7
- York University HeightsKp 7
Quebec
- Ahuntsic-CartiervilleKp 7
- AlmaKp 7
- AmosKp 7
- AylmerKp 7
- Baie-ComeauKp 5
- BeaconsfieldKp 7
- BeloeilKp 7
- BlainvilleKp 7
- BoisbriandKp 7
- BouchervilleKp 7
- BrossardKp 7
- BuckinghamKp 7
- CandiacKp 7
- ChamblyKp 7
- ChâteauguayKp 7
- Côte-Saint-LucKp 7
- Desmarchais-CrawfordKp 7
- Deux-MontagnesKp 7
- Dollard-Des OrmeauxKp 7
- DorvalKp 7
- DrummondvilleKp 7
- GatineauKp 7
- GranbyKp 7
- Ile-des-SoeursKp 7
- JolietteKp 7
- JonquièreKp 7
- KirklandKp 7
- L'Ancienne-LoretteKp 7
- L'AssomptionKp 7
- La Haute-Saint-CharlesKp 7
- La PrairieKp 7
- LavalKp 7
- Les CoteauxKp 7
- LongueuilKp 7
- LévisKp 7
- MagogKp 7
- MascoucheKp 7
- Mile EndKp 7
- MirabelKp 7
- Mont-RoyalKp 7
- Mont-Saint-HilaireKp 7
- MontréalKp 7
- Notre-Dame-de-GrâceKp 7
- OutremontKp 7
- Parc-ExtensionKp 7
- Pointe-ClaireKp 7
- QuébecKp 7
- RepentignyKp 7
- RimouskiKp 7
- Rivière-du-LoupKp 7
- Rock ForestKp 7
- Rouyn-NorandaKp 7
- SaguenayKp 7
- Saint-Augustin-de-DesmauresKp 7
- Saint-Basile-le-GrandKp 7
- Saint-Bruno-de-MontarvilleKp 7
- Saint-Charles-BorroméeKp 7
- Saint-ConstantKp 7
- Saint-EustacheKp 7
- Saint-GeorgesKp 7
- Saint-HenriKp 7
- Saint-HubertKp 7
- Saint-HyacintheKp 7
- Saint-Jean-sur-RichelieuKp 7
- Saint-JérômeKp 7
- Saint-LaurentKp 7
- Saint-LazareKp 7
- Saint-Lin-LaurentidesKp 7
- Saint-LéonardKp 7
- Saint-MichelKp 7
- Sainte-CatherineKp 7
- Sainte-CatherineKp 7
- Sainte-JulieKp 7
- Sainte-ThérèseKp 7
- Salaberry-de-ValleyfieldKp 7
- Sept-ÎlesKp 5
- ShawiniganKp 7
- SherbrookeKp 7
- SnowdonKp 7
- Sorel-TracyKp 7
- Templeton-EstKp 7
- TerrebonneKp 7
- Thetford-MinesKp 7
- Trois-RivièresKp 7
- Val-d'OrKp 7
- VarennesKp 7
- Vaudreuil-DorionKp 7
- VerdunKp 7
- VictoriavilleKp 7
- Ville-ÉmardKp 7
- WestmountKp 7
Saskatchewan
- Moose JawKp 7
- North BattlefordKp 5
- Prince AlbertKp 5
- ReginaKp 5
- SaskatoonKp 5
- Swift CurrentKp 7
- YorktonKp 5
Yukon
- WhitehorseKp 3
What the Kp number means
Kp grades the strength of a geomagnetic storm from 0 to 9. The higher it runs, the further from the pole the auroral oval spreads, so every place has a Kp at which the aurora borealis first reaches it — that is the number beside each link above. In Canada those thresholds run from Kp 3 to Kp 7. A place at Kp 3 is inside the oval on an ordinary quiet night; one at Kp 7 needs a severe storm, and those come a handful of times per solar cycle.
Know when it is worth going outside
Revon watches the forecast for the exact spot you are standing in, anywhere in Canada, and pushes an alert when tonight’s odds clear your threshold — no checking, no guessing.
Common questions about the aurora borealis in Canada
Can you see the aurora borealis in Canada?
Yes, in all 333 places in Canada with a forecast page: each averages at least one viable night a year, and Fort McMurray leads them at 132.4 nights.
Where in Canada is the aurora borealis seen most often?
Fort McMurray. It needs Kp 3 and averages 132.4 viable nights a year, more than anywhere else in Canada we publish a forecast for. Further north is not automatically better: the closer a place is to the pole, the more of its summer never gets dark at all.
What Kp index do you need to see the aurora borealis in Canada?
Between Kp 3 and Kp 7, depending where you stand. Fort McMurray needs Kp 3; Montréal needs Kp 7, and storms that size are a small fraction as frequent.
Is there one aurora borealis forecast for the whole of Canada?
No. The auroral oval reaches some parts of Canada on a quiet night and others only in a severe storm, so a countrywide number would mislead more than it told you. The forecast is published per place, so open the page for where you will actually be.