Canada · Aurora borealis
Is the aurora visible in Thunder Bay tonight?
Right now
Not tonight.
Kp is 2.0. Thunder Bay needs Kp 7+ for the oval overhead — right now it’s not reaching Thunder Bay.
Tonight's peak is forecast around Kp 4.7 (Active). The forecast still depends on darkness, cloud and the moon at your exact spot.
Reliable about 30 minutes ahead — cloud decides the rest.
Thunder Bay only catches the aurora during strong geomagnetic storms — it needs roughly Kp 7+ for the northern lights to come into view. Here's tonight's live space weather and how to plan around it.
How to see the aurora from Thunder Bay
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 Thunder Bay?
Aurora season in Thunder Bay runs roughly September – March. Here the months that pay off are September, May, and March — the table below shows why. See the full best time to see the aurora guide for the season in detail.
Thunder Bay by the numbers
Between Sep 1, 2025 and Aug 31, 2026, Thunder Bay had 365 nights dark enough for the aurora, and the planetary Kp reached the Kp 7+ this place needs on 9 of them. Averaged over 2015–2024 and this location's cloud cover, that works out to about 2 aurora-possible nights a year, most of them in September, May, and March.
| Month | Dark hours per night | Dark nights | Average cloud cover | Aurora-possible nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 14 h | 31 | 70% | 0 |
| February | 12.8 h | 28 | 61% | 0 |
| March | 11 h | 31 | 60% | <1 |
| April | 9.3 h | 30 | 65% | <1 |
| May | 7.3 h | 31 | 60% | <1 |
| June | 6.3 h | 30 | 61% | <1 |
| July | 7 h | 31 | 51% | 0 |
| August | 8.5 h | 31 | 56% | <1 |
| September | 10.3 h | 30 | 58% | <1 |
| October | 12 h | 31 | 69% | <1 |
| November | 13.8 h | 30 | 76% | <1 |
| December | 14.3 h | 31 | 76% | 0 |
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.
Where to watch near Thunder Bay
Get out of the city lights and find a clear view to the north. These are places near Thunder Bay that locals and aurora chasers use. Distances and drive times are from the city centre.
Hillcrest Park
A hilltop park in the city where the local astronomy club (RASC Thunder Bay Centre) has often held public sky-viewing nights. A quick option when a strong storm is already under way.
It is inside the city, so only bright displays will show well against the glow.
MapMacKenzie Point Conservation Area
A rocky point on Lake Superior east of the city, well away from its light. Local photographers have shot the aurora here.
Take Highway 11/17 east to Lakeshore Drive, then Coral Beach Road to its end. It is run by the conservation authority, so check its posted rules before going after dark.
MapSleeping Giant Provincial Park
A large park on the Sibley Peninsula surrounded by Lake Superior. Destination Ontario lists it as a place to see the aurora, with reflections on the lake.
The pin is the park gatehouse, about 35 km down Highway 587. The park is open all year, and cabins can be rented in winter.
Map
Local tips
- Local aurora watchers share sightings and alerts in the Thunder Bay Starchasers Facebook group.
- A Thunder Bay landscape photographer advises keeping any light sources, such as the city, to your south.
- Strong storms can be seen in town over the city glow, but you see more outside the city, and colours often show better on camera than to the eye.
The last big one
: A vivid display with a lot of rare red was seen around Thunder Bay, and some watchers said the whole sky turned red.
Sources (9), checked 2026-11-07
- northernontario.travel/thunder-bay/night-sky-viewing-thunder-b…
- tbnewswatch.com/local-news/photos-northern-lights-are-g…
- lakeheadca.com/conservation-area/mackenzie-point/
- superiorhiking.com/mackenzie-point/
- northernontario.travel/sunset-country/amazing-northern-lights-…
- destinationontario.com/en-ca/articles/where-see-the-northern-l…
- ontarioparks.ca/park/sleepinggiant
- northernontario.travel/sunset-country/tips-taking-pictures-nor…
- tbnewswatch.com/local-news/very-rare-red-shows-up-in-no…
Where it’s reliable
