Tonight
Oct 28 - Oct 29
- 31 °F
41 percent cloud cover - 30 °F27 percent cloud cover
- 28 °F
36 percent cloud cover
Northern Lights Forecast for Juneau
Juneau, Alaska, United States
58°18′6.8″N ⋅ 134°25′10.9″W
Aurora data last updated at
Current local time:
Can you see the Northern Lights in Juneau tonight?
No significant aurora activity is expected in Juneau over the next 24 hours. Sky will be dark from 6:46 PM to 6:37 AM local time. Cloud cover around that time looks clear skies at around 15%.
Aurora Forecast for Juneau, AK
Today at 10:00 AM
No activity
Cloud Cover:19%
Aurora activity
High clouds
Middle clouds
Low clouds
Fog
Aurora activity
High clouds
Middle clouds
Low clouds
Fog
Hourly aurora forecast for Juneau
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3-Night Weather Forecast for Juneau, AK
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Tomorrow night
Oct 29 - Oct 30
- 29 °F
0 percent cloud cover - 29 °F0 percent cloud cover
- 30 °F0 percent cloud cover
Friday night
Oct 30 - Oct 31
- 34 °F
71 percent cloud cover - 34 °F
98 percent cloud cover
Sun & Moon
Sunset
Sunrise
Dark from 06:46 PM to 06:37 AM (11 h 51 min)
Current Moon
Waning Gibbous
91% illumination
Refresh to load today's sun path.
Long-Term Aurora Forecast for Juneau, AK
| 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. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 4 out of 10. Last quarter, 65% illumination | Sunday, November 1, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 3 out of 10. Last quarter, 54% illumination | ||
Monday, November 2, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 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. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. Waning crescent, 14% illumination | Friday, November 6, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. Waning crescent, 8% illumination | Saturday, November 7, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 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 2 out of 10. New moon, 0% illumination | Tuesday, November 10, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. New moon, 2% illumination | Wednesday, November 11, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 5% illumination | Thursday, November 12, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 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. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. First quarter, 41% illumination | Tuesday, November 17, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 3 out of 10. First quarter, 50% illumination | Wednesday, November 18, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 3 out of 10. First quarter, 60% illumination | Thursday, November 19, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 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 Juneau
The aurora season in Juneau runs from late July to mid-May, when the nights get dark. Your best chances are in September and October, and again in March, when the aurora shows on some clear nights.
- 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 Juneau, January at the top: how long it's dark, and the chance of aurora on a clear night.
Northern Lights in Juneau
Juneau is the capital of Alaska, a city of about 32,000 on the Gastineau Channel at 58.3°N, in the temperate rainforest of the Tongass National Forest. The aurora is over Juneau more often than anyone sees it, because rain or snow falls on about 230 days a year. A National Weather Service meteorologist in Juneau says the chance of clearing is highest with offshore flow, when drier air reaches the panhandle, and that does not happen very often. The season runs from September to April; from May to August the nights are too light.
On a clear night with moderate activity the aurora sits low in the north; it takes stronger activity to bring it overhead.
Mendenhall Lake and the glacier
Mendenhall Lake is about 12 miles north of downtown, beyond the airport. From the lake shore you look north across the water to the Mendenhall Glacier, with the aurora above the ice, the view in many Juneau aurora photos. Skaters Cabin, a 1936 stone shelter on the west shore, and the paths by the visitor center both reach the water, and the outdoor areas are free. Like the other spots here, it needs a car or a taxi at night.
North Douglas and False Outer Point
The North Douglas Highway follows the north side of Douglas Island, across the bridge from downtown. The boat launch ramp, about 10 miles out, and False Outer Point further on are both used on aurora nights, as is Sandy Beach in Douglas. From the launch ramp, photographers have caught the sky lit from South Douglas to the glacier.
Out the road to Echo Cove and Eagle Beach
North of Auke Bay the Glacier Highway carries on to Echo Cove, roughly 40 miles from downtown, where it ends; locals call this stretch “out the road”. Eagle Beach State Recreation Area, 27 miles from town, has a wide beach looking over Lynn Canal to the Chilkat Mountains. Its gates are closed from October through April, so in winter it is walk-in only.
The airport and the Auke Bay ferry terminal
No road connects Juneau to the rest of Alaska. Juneau International Airport, about 8 miles northwest of downtown, has flights from Anchorage and Seattle all year. The Alaska Marine Highway ferry terminal is at Auke Bay, about 13 miles north of downtown, with sailings from Bellingham, Washington, and Prince Rupert, British Columbia, and ferries to Haines and Skagway, which are on the road system.
FAQ
Can you see the northern lights in Juneau?
Yes, from September to April, but cloud hides most active nights. Juneau gets rain or snow on about 230 days a year, and a National Weather Service meteorologist says the chance of clearing is highest with offshore flow, which is uncommon. When a clear night and an active aurora coincide, people drive out to Mendenhall Lake, North Douglas or Eagle Beach. From May to August the nights are too light.
Can you see the northern lights at Mendenhall Glacier?
Yes, on a clear night with enough activity. The glacier ends in Mendenhall Lake about 12 miles north of downtown, and from the lake shore you look north across the water to the ice, so the aurora shows above the glacier. The outdoor areas are free, and Skaters Cabin on the west shore and the visitor center paths both reach the water.
Can you see the northern lights on an Alaska cruise to Juneau?
Only at the very end of the cruise season. Most of it falls in the light months, and from May to August the nights are too light for the aurora. The dark nights return in September, and Juneau's cloud still decides most of them. The places people drive to, Mendenhall Lake and the North Douglas boat launch ramp, are 10 to 12 miles from downtown and need a car or a taxi after dark.
Is Juneau or Fairbanks better for the northern lights?
Fairbanks sits at 64.8°N, inland and dry, where the aurora is often overhead. Juneau is at 58.3°N in a coastal rainforest with rain or snow on about 230 days a year, and the aurora usually sits low in the north. There is no road between them; flights from Juneau go to Anchorage, about 570 miles away, for the connection north.
When is the best time to see the northern lights in Juneau?
The aurora season in Juneau runs from late July to mid-May, when the nights get dark. Your best chances are in September and October, and again in March, when the aurora shows on some clear nights. The longest nights, around 21 December, have about 14 hours of darkness.
Can you see the northern lights in Juneau in summer?
Only a bright one. After mid-May the sky doesn't get fully dark again until late July. The nights still reach twilight, so a strong aurora can show around midnight.
What Kp index do I need to see the northern lights in Juneau?
In Juneau, you usually need at least Kp 3 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 around 1.4. That is below the usual Kp index threshold for Juneau, so seeing the aurora is unlikely.