If you haven’t come to Alaska before, you’ll have to visit in the fall to experience the aurora borealis. The northern lights light up the arctic nights from the top of Alaska down to Anchorage. You’ll be amazed by the beautiful, clear starlit nights and the brilliant colors that ignite the sky. Once you’ve seen the skies in Alaska you’ll agree that fall is the best time to view the aurora in Alaska.
Fall is an amazing time in Alaska. The seemingly endless midnight sun starts to set earlier and earlier until autumn nights take on a velvety blackness. This beautiful shot is from the interior village Nenana on an October night.
The darkest time of year in the arctic is before the snow falls when the nights are cool. October is very dark in the village of Ester outside the interior town of Fairbanks.
From mid-August through September you can find dark nights with plentiful aurora in Alaska's arctic and interior. Head farther south for dark, snowless nights in October and early November in Talkeetna.
Of course you can see the aurora borealis on any clear night in the winter, but the temperatures are much colder and the snow reflects moon and starlight for a much less intense darkness. Fall is darker and warmer for aurora viewing sessions.
Tour companies also offer discount prices in the fall as the warmth quickly fades away. You'll find Alaska less crowded and everything more relaxed as Alaskans transition from the insanity of summer to settling in for winter.
Aurora is best seen when you can get away from the city lights and into the wilderness to see the Alaskan sky at it's most magnificent. Fall offers safer roads for those middle of the night aurora viewing drives without the ice and snow.
Aurora displays tend to intensify around the equinoxes in September and March due to the Earth's tilt in relation to the sun. The high probability of auroral activity is another great reason to visit in the fall.
The best time to view aurora during the fall is from 12:30 – 4:30 A.M. with the peak at about 2:30 A.M. You can check the aurora forecast before traveling north for the best chance of an aurora experience.
Visit Alaska in the fall to see the incredible displays of colorful northern lights in the sky. Traveling north to watch the aurora is a magical adventure you'll never forget in Alaska.
