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Spanning all four seasons and nine months of the year, Aurora Season runs August 21st through April 21st. Each timeframe within Aurora Season offers incredible one-of-a-kind viewing experiences. We have selected images from each month that showcase both the northern lights and the landscapes they illuminate.
You might be wondering - “when is the best time of year to see the aurora?” Easy answer! Any time between August 21st and April 21st. Each season offers its own unique aurora viewing experience. In late summer and autumn, you’ll find beautiful red and orange tundra landscapes and mirror-images of auroras on lakes. In winter, you'll find dramatic snowy landscapes, and opportunities to pair aurora viewing with Alaska classics including ice fishing, cross country skiing, and more. In spring, the aurora-viewing world is your oyster. Depending on the weather, you might find the last chances to enjoy winter activities, beautiful blue-hour lighting, plenty of attractions and more.
Travel tip: Consider which activities you’d like to pair with aurora viewing, then pick the time of year that’s best for those activities.
“Located just two degrees below the Arctic near the international airport and close to the impressive Denali National Park, Fairbanks is the best place in the U.S. to take in the northern lights. It even has its own forecast system and offers tours to take visitors far from city lights.”
— National Geographic, 2017
Late Summer and Autumn
August, September and most of October
In late summer and autumn, people can view the highly sought-after reflective, mirror-image auroras because lakes and rivers haven’t frozen and accumulated snow yet. The first few months of Aurora Season also offer mild temperatures, so chasing and photographing the aurora is less tricky. If you come at the end of August through mid-September, tons of fun summer activities like gold panning or floating the Chena River are still available.
Winter
Late October through late March
Winter in Fairbanks offers dramatic snowy landscapes which is the perfect winter wonderland for aurora viewing. Because Fairbanks rarely warms to above freezing during Winter Season, the snow simply accumulates creating an iridescent winterscape. The ability to pair awesome activities like ice fishing, dog mushing, flightseeing and snowmobiling while you look towards the heavens for the aurora, is at your fingertips.
Spring
Late March and April
As winter transforms into spring, you’ll find mild temperatures and indigo skies that contrast vividly with the aurora. As the daylight grows longer each day, it’s easy to fill your time with outdoor and indoor activities alike. Museums, cultural centers, hiking, hot springs and more await you.
If you’re here after April 21st when Aurora Season comes to a close, don’t worry, another round of beauty is just getting started! Midnight Sun Season starts on April 22nd, and 70 straight days of sunshine starts on May 17th!
You’re invited! Come see the aurora in Fairbanks.
Regardless of the time of year you choose to see the aurora, Fairbanks is the best destination for viewing! Renowned as one of the best aurora viewing places on earth, Fairbanks offers unforgettable aurora viewing experiences. In Fairbanks, we celebrate the aurora and its unusual vortexes, spiking arcs, intense coronas, bright bands, colorful rays and diffuse lights. Join us in appreciating the aurora and experiencing the joy that it brings to locals and visitors alike.
Fairbanks is directly under the Auroral Oval, a ring-shaped zone over the far north with concentrated aurora activity. As a prime destination within the Auroral Oval, Fairbanks has a significant advantage over other locations when it comes to likelihood of seeing the aurora borealis. If you stay a minimum of three nights in the Fairbanks area and are actively out during the evening hours, your chances of seeing the aurora are more than 90%! Check out our Aurora Tracker to learn more!
Share your experience with us!
We want to see what you see! Tag us in your aurora photos @explorefairbanks. Follow us on social media for aurora content and more and start planning your trip to Fairbanks today!
