Canada · Aurora borealis
Is the aurora visible in Vancouver tonight?
Right now
Not tonight.
Kp is 0.0. Vancouver needs Kp 7+ for the oval overhead — right now it’s not reaching Vancouver.
Tonight's peak is forecast around Kp 4.0 (Active). The forecast still depends on darkness, cloud and the moon at your exact spot.
Reliable about 30 minutes ahead — cloud decides the rest.
Vancouver 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 Vancouver
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 Vancouver?
Aurora season in Vancouver 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.
Vancouver by the numbers
Between Sep 1, 2025 and Aug 31, 2026, Vancouver 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 | 81% | 0 |
| February | 12.8 h | 28 | 74% | 0 |
| March | 11 h | 31 | 70% | <1 |
| April | 9 h | 30 | 66% | <1 |
| May | 7.3 h | 31 | 58% | <1 |
| June | 6.3 h | 30 | 57% | <1 |
| July | 6.5 h | 31 | 38% | 0 |
| August | 8.3 h | 31 | 42% | <1 |
| September | 10.3 h | 30 | 55% | <1 |
| October | 12.3 h | 31 | 68% | <1 |
| November | 13.8 h | 30 | 75% | <1 |
| December | 14.5 h | 31 | 80% | 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 Vancouver
Get out of the city lights and find a clear view to the north. These are places near Vancouver that locals and aurora chasers use. Distances and drive times are from the city centre.
Spanish Banks (west end, by Pacific Spirit Park)
The darkest city beach, at the far west end next to Pacific Spirit Park, with open water and the North Shore mountains across the bay.
City beaches close at 10 p.m. Cars left in the lot after 10 p.m. get towed.
MapBurnaby Mountain, north side at SFU
From the top next to Simon Fraser University, the north side of the mountain is high and far enough from Vancouver and Burnaby to cut some of the city glow.
The main parking lot closes at 10 p.m. Take exit 37 off Highway 1 and follow the SFU signs.
MapPorteau Cove Provincial Park
A waterfront park on Howe Sound off Highway 99, well away from Vancouver's lights, with a wide view across the water.
The day-use area closes at 11 p.m., and anyone staying later must be a registered camper. Parking is limited. Do not park on the highway, because cars there get towed.
Map
Local tips
- City of Vancouver parks, beaches and gardens are open only from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. unless posted, and rangers and police clear them after closing.
- Delta and Tsawwassen farmland is dark and open, but avoid stopping near greenhouses, whose bright lights can wash out the sky.
The last big one
: The strongest geomagnetic storm since 2005 brought pink, purple and green aurora that people photographed across Metro Vancouver.
Where it’s reliable
