Personal blog about states
Alaska’s northern lights season is between mid-September and late April, peaking in March, though it’s a season defined more by its long, dark nights than by solar activity. Forecasting the northern lights means predicting solar activity, which is virtually impossible with our current technology.
Most tour companies will pick up guests from any Fairbanks hotel or accommodation as part of the package price. Evening tours run from 9 p.m. to about 4 a.m. and average $75 to $85 per person, while more extensive tours like the Northern Alaska fly/drive Arctic Circle viewing tour begins at $269 per person.
Fairbanks
Yes, you can see the northern lights , also known as the aurora borealis , from Anchorage – but not in the summer. The aurora actually occurs all year long, but the sky needs to be clear and dark to see it. Views are best from September to April. Winter is the prime viewing time.
When is the best month to visit Alaska? You can’t go wrong visiting Alaska anytime between May 10 and September 15. The days are long, nature is in full bloom, and the air is alive with energy. But, for the absolute best time to visit Alaska, shoot for June 15 to July 15.
There is no official season since the Northern Lights are almost always present, day and night . Caused by charged particles from the sun hitting atoms in Earth’s atmosphere and releasing photons, it’s a process that happens constantly.
During the winter of 2020 , the Northern Lights viewing was typical for a solar minimum year . But from 2020 onwards, there will be a slow ramp-up in solar activity, and auroras should increase in frequency, peaking in 2024/2025 with the Solar Maximum. Read more about where to see the Northern lights here.
Coldfoot, a town in Alaska’s Brooks Range mountains, offers the best chance of witnessing the Alaska Northern Lights . With a slightly longer season than Iceland , stretching from mid-September through late April, Alaska is a great no-passport-required option for U.S. residents.
For example, in Fairbanks, the sunrise on this year’s summer solstice (June 20) is at 2:59 a.m. Sunset is at 12:47 a.m. the next day . For those two hours between sunrise and sunset, it’s basically dusk or dawn because it never actually gets dark . This all – day daylight occurs from May 17 through July 27 in Fairbanks.
What are the best places to see the Northern Lights ? Tromso, Norway. Based in the heart of the aurora zone in the Norwegian Arctic, the city is widely regarded as one of the world’s best places to see the Northern Lights . Swedish Lapland. Reykjavik, Iceland. Yukon, Canada. Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland. Ilulissat, Greenland.
But here’s the good news: The time is right to get a glimpse of the aurora borealis . Thanks to longer hours of darkness and clear night skies, December through March is usually the best time to observe this elusive natural phenomenon (though you can sometimes see the northern lights starting as early as August ).
The aurora is at its most active around the equinoxes in March and September . The Northern Lights most commonly appear between 5:00 pm and 2:00 am. They don’t usually exhibit for long – they may only show for a few minutes, then glide away before returning.
Didn’t Find Your City in the Top 5?
2020 Ranking | City | Property Crime (per 1,000) |
---|---|---|
10 | North Slope Borough | 9.1 |
11 | Juneau | 48.6 |
12 | Wasilla | 60.5 |
13 | Kenai | 71.1 |
Top 100 Jobs Relatively More Common in Alaska Than Elsewhere
Rank | Job | Local Popularity Index |
---|---|---|
1 | Zoologists and wildlife biologists | 45.6 |
2 | Geological and petroleum technicians | 30.5 |
3 | Airline pilots , copilots, and flight engineers | 29.3 |
4 | Material moving workers | 20.2 |
Wasilla may be equally famous and infamous – well known as the headquarters of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race , it gained a new level of notoriety when Sarah Palin was named as John McCain’s running mate during the 2008 presidential election.