Storm watch · Kp 5.3

Kp 5.3 forecast in the next 3 days — the aurora could push much further south than usual.

Check your location

USA · Aurora borealis

Is the aurora visible in Cordova tonight?

Right now

Wait for dark.

Kp is 0.0. Cordova needs Kp 2+ for the oval overhead — right now it’s low on the northern horizon.

Tonight's peak is forecast around Kp 5.3 (Minor storm). The forecast still depends on darkness, cloud and the moon at your exact spot.

Reliable about 30 minutes ahead — cloud decides the rest.

Cordova sits right under the auroral oval — it needs roughly Kp 2+ for the northern lights to come into view. Here's tonight's live space weather and how to plan around it.

Come back at 09:11 PM — that’s when the sky goes dark and the aurora could show.

Add a reminder

How to see the aurora from Cordova

Face north and find a clear, low horizon in that direction. Everything else — dark skies, adapted eyes, the camera trick — is the same anywhere on Earth, so it lives in the how to photograph the aurora guide.

When can you see the northern lights in Cordova?

Aurora season in Cordova runs roughly September – March. Here the months that pay off are March, April, and February — the table below shows why. See the full best time to see the aurora guide for the season in detail.

Cordova by the numbers

Between Sep 1, 2025 and Aug 31, 2026, Cordova had 337 nights dark enough for the aurora, and the planetary Kp reached the Kp 2+ this place needs on 292 of them. Averaged over 2015–2024 and this location's cloud cover, that works out to about 86 aurora-possible nights a year, most of them in March, April, and February.

Month by month at Cordova
MonthDark hours per nightDark nightsAverage cloud coverAurora-possible nights
January15.5 h3173%8
February13.3 h2870%9
March10.5 h3169%11
April7.8 h3069%10
May4 h3177%7
June0677%1
July2.5 h2882%4
August6.5 h3177%7
September9.5 h3076%9
October12.3 h3176%7
November14.8 h3073%8
December16 h3182%5

Sources: the sun's geometry (dark = at least 6° below the horizon), GFZ Potsdam's Kp index 2015–2024 (CC BY 4.0), ERA5 cloud cover via Open-Meteo (the table shows the monthly mean; the estimate counts days that were not overcast). An estimate for comparing places and months, not a forecast — how we estimate this.

Closer to the oval

Within 400 km, these places need a lower Kp than Cordova:

Plan the trip

Aurora tours & stays near Cordova

Advertising disclosure

Some links below are paid affiliate links. If you book a tour, reserve a stay or buy gear through them, we may earn a commission — it never costs you anything extra and helps keep the forecast free.

  • Booking.com

    Aurora cabins & lodges

    Cabins, lodges and aurora-view stays near Cordova — settle in and watch the lights.

    Find stays
  • Discover Cars

    Rent a car to chase clear skies

    Self-drive to dark-sky spots away from town glow. Compare every local supplier.

    Compare cars
  • SafetyWing

    Cover the trip

    Travel medical cover for a trip to Cordova — remote, cold and weather-dependent — from a few dollars a day.

    Get covered