Tonight
Oct 28 - Oct 29
- 5 °C
92 percent cloud cover - 4 °C
71 percent cloud cover - 4 °C100 percent cloud cover
Northern Lights Forecast for Winnipeg
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
49°53′43.4″N ⋅ 97°8′18.6″W
Aurora data last updated at
Current local time:
Can you see the Northern Lights in Winnipeg tonight?
No significant aurora activity is expected in Winnipeg over the next 24 hours. Sky will be dark from 7:23 PM to 7:01 AM local time. Cloud cover around that time looks clear skies at around 0%.
Aurora Forecast for Winnipeg
Today at 1:00 PM
No activity
Cloud Cover:2%
Aurora activity
High clouds
Middle clouds
Low clouds
Fog
Aurora activity
High clouds
Middle clouds
Low clouds
Fog
Hourly aurora forecast for Winnipeg
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3-Night Weather Forecast for Winnipeg
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Tomorrow night
Oct 29 - Oct 30
- 2 °C40 percent cloud cover
- 2 °C52 percent cloud cover
- 1 °C
16 percent cloud cover
Friday night
Oct 30 - Oct 31
- 2 °C
11 percent cloud cover - -0 °C9 percent cloud cover
- -0 °C32 percent cloud cover
Sun & Moon
Sunset
Sunrise
Dark from 07:23 PM to 07:01 AM (11 h 38 min)
Current Moon
Waning Gibbous
91% illumination
Refresh to load today's sun path.
Long-Term Aurora Forecast for Winnipeg
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wednesday, October 28, 2026. Today. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 92% illumination | Thursday, October 29, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 85% illumination | Friday, October 30, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 76% illumination | Saturday, October 31, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. Last quarter, 65% illumination | Sunday, November 1, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. Last quarter, 54% illumination | ||
Monday, November 2, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Last quarter, 43% illumination | Tuesday, November 3, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Last quarter, 32% illumination | Wednesday, November 4, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning crescent, 23% illumination | Thursday, November 5, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning crescent, 14% illumination | Friday, November 6, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning crescent, 8% illumination | Saturday, November 7, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. New moon, 3% illumination | Sunday, November 8, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. New moon, 1% illumination |
Monday, November 9, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. New moon, 0% illumination | Tuesday, November 10, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. New moon, 2% illumination | Wednesday, November 11, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 5% illumination | Thursday, November 12, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 10% illumination | Friday, November 13, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 16% illumination | Saturday, November 14, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 23% illumination | Sunday, November 15, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 32% illumination |
Monday, November 16, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 41% illumination | Tuesday, November 17, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. First quarter, 50% illumination | Wednesday, November 18, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. First quarter, 60% illumination | Thursday, November 19, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 70% illumination | Friday, November 20, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 79% illumination | Saturday, November 21, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 87% illumination | Sunday, November 22, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 94% illumination |
Monday, November 23, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Full moon, 98% illumination | Tuesday, November 24, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Full moon, 100% illumination |
LowAurora ActivityHigh
Best Time to See the Northern Lights in Winnipeg
The nights in Winnipeg are dark all year. The aurora is rare in Winnipeg: your best chances are in September and October.
- Dark hours
- Chance of aurora
Long-term averages for clear nights, since 1985. Geomagnetic data: GFZ, CC BY 4.0
Every night of 2026 in Winnipeg, January at the top: how long it's dark, and the chance of aurora on a clear night.
Northern Lights in Winnipeg
Winnipeg is a prairie city of about 750,000 at 49.9°N in southern Manitoba, with flat farmland on every side. The geomagnetic pole lies over the Canadian Arctic, so Winnipeg is magnetically much further north than European cities at the same latitude. An active night just short of a G1 minor storm can put a glow low in the north from the edge of the city, and a G2 moderate storm can lift it well up the sky.
Haze over St. James, Charleswood and Scurfield Park
Scott Young, astronomer at the Manitoba Museum Planetarium, describes the usual view from inside the city as a white or grey haze, like thin cloud. In the biggest storms the sky over Winnipeg has turned crimson, and people have sent in photos taken in St. James, Charleswood and Scurfield Park.
The colour shows more readily on a phone in night mode than to the eye. See how to photograph the aurora with an iPhone.
Birds Hill, Oak Hammock Marsh and Gimli
- Birds Hill Provincial Park, about 24 km north on Highway 59, is a cluster of low wooded hills left by glacial meltwater. A University of Manitoba physics instructor has recommended it for the aurora.
- Oak Hammock Marsh, about 35 km north, is 20 km² of open marsh, kept dimly lit for the sake of migrating birds. It runs public astronomy nights with telescopes on the roof of its interpretive centre.
- Gimli, 80 km north on the west shore of Lake Winnipeg, is about an hour’s drive. The harbour pier runs out into the lake, and photos of the aurora have come from Gimli.
Churchill, with no road
For the aurora on quiet nights, Churchill on Hudson Bay is two nights by train or about two hours by air from Winnipeg.
FAQ
Why do the northern lights look grey over Winnipeg?
From inside the city the aurora normally looks like a white or grey haze, like thin cloud, according to Scott Young, astronomer at the Manitoba Museum Planetarium. The colour shows on a camera in night mode, or further out of town. In the biggest storms the sky over Winnipeg has turned crimson, but that is not the usual view.
Is there a clear view north at Birds Hill Park?
In places. The provincial park is about 24 km north of the city on Highway 59, and a University of Manitoba physics instructor has named it as a place with little light pollution. It is low wooded hills rather than open plain, so pick a clearing or a spot by the lake with a clear view north.
Does Oak Hammock Marsh hold stargazing or northern lights nights?
Yes. The marsh, about 35 km north of Winnipeg, runs public astronomy nights that start with a talk and move to telescopes on the roof of the interpretive centre, weather permitting; some have been about the aurora. The marsh keeps its lighting low so as not to disturb migrating birds, and the open wetland gives a wide view of the sky.
How do you get from Winnipeg to Churchill to see the northern lights?
By train or plane, since no road reaches Churchill. VIA Rail's train from Winnipeg takes about 45 hours with two nights on board, and Calm Air flies from Winnipeg in about two hours. Churchill is far enough north to see the aurora on quiet nights that show nothing in Winnipeg; February and March are its aurora months.
When is the best time to see the northern lights in Winnipeg?
The nights in Winnipeg are dark all year. The aurora is rare in Winnipeg: your best chances are in September and October. The longest nights, around 21 December, have about 13 hours of darkness.
Can you see the northern lights in Winnipeg in summer?
Yes. The nights in Winnipeg are dark all year, so the aurora can show in summer too when it reaches this far south.
What Kp index do I need to see the northern lights in Winnipeg?
In Winnipeg, you usually need at least Kp 4 to have a reasonable chance of seeing the northern lights. Lower Kp can still bring a faint aurora display low on the northern horizon, but it is less common.
This is based on magnetic latitude, and Kp index is a global geomagnetic index, so treat it as a rule of thumb, not a location-specific guarantee.
Tonight, the NOAA Kp index forecast is 1.3 to 1.7. That is below the usual Kp index threshold for Winnipeg, so seeing the aurora is unlikely.