Northern lights in Fairbanks in December 2026
Short answer: The darkest, most moon-free nights are 5 Dec, 6 Dec, 7 Dec, 8 Dec, 9 Dec, 10 Dec. Nights average 15.0 hours of darkness in December.
Cold, dry continental air gives many clear nights; Chena Hot Springs is the classic base.
Tue 1 Dec to Thu 31 Dec 2026
Darkest night: Sat 5 December 2026
Dark 17:21–08:07 · 14.8 h without the moon · moon 7% lit
| Night of | Dark (sun below −12°) | Hours | Moon-free | Moon | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 1 Dec | 17:25–08:00 | 14.7 | 8.3 | 39% | 91 |
| Wed 2 Dec | 17:24–08:02 | 14.7 | 10.0 | 29% | 95 |
| Thu 3 Dec | 17:23–08:03 | 14.8 | 11.8 | 20% | 98 |
| Fri 4 Dec | 17:22–08:05 | 14.8 | 13.7 | 12% | 99 |
| Sat 5 Dec | 17:21–08:07 | 14.8 | 14.8 | 7% | 100 |
| Sun 6 Dec | 17:20–08:08 | 14.8 | 14.8 | 3% | 100 |
| Mon 7 Dec | 17:20–08:10 | 14.8 | 14.8 | 1% | 100 |
| Tue 8 Dec | 17:19–08:11 | 15.0 | 15.0 | 0% | 100 |
| Wed 9 Dec | 17:19–08:12 | 15.0 | 15.0 | 2% | 100 |
| Thu 10 Dec | 17:18–08:14 | 15.0 | 15.0 | 5% | 100 |
| Fri 11 Dec | 17:18–08:15 | 15.0 | 15.0 | 10% | 100 |
| Sat 12 Dec | 17:18–08:16 | 15.0 | 13.7 | 16% | 99 |
| Sun 13 Dec | 17:17–08:17 | 15.0 | 11.8 | 24% | 97 |
| Mon 14 Dec | 17:17–08:18 | 15.2 | 10.3 | 33% | 94 |
| Tue 15 Dec | 17:17–08:19 | 15.2 | 8.7 | 42% | 90 |
| Wed 16 Dec | 17:17–08:20 | 15.2 | 7.0 | 53% | 84 |
| Thu 17 Dec | 17:18–08:21 | 15.2 | 5.3 | 63% | 77 |
| Fri 18 Dec | 17:18–08:21 | 15.2 | 3.3 | 73% | 69 |
| Sat 19 Dec | 17:18–08:22 | 15.2 | 1.3 | 82% | 59 |
| Sun 20 Dec | 17:19–08:22 | 15.2 | 0.0 | 90% | 50 |
| Mon 21 Dec | 17:19–08:23 | 15.2 | 0.0 | 96% | 47 |
| Tue 22 Dec | 17:20–08:23 | 15.2 | 0.0 | 99% | 45 |
| Wed 23 Dec | 17:20–08:24 | 15.2 | 0.0 | 100% | 45 |
| Thu 24 Dec | 17:21–08:24 | 15.2 | 0.0 | 98% | 46 |
| Fri 25 Dec | 17:22–08:24 | 15.2 | 0.0 | 93% | 49 |
| Sat 26 Dec | 17:23–08:24 | 15.2 | 2.0 | 86% | 59 |
| Sun 27 Dec | 17:24–08:24 | 15.2 | 4.0 | 77% | 69 |
| Mon 28 Dec | 17:25–08:24 | 15.0 | 5.8 | 67% | 78 |
| Tue 29 Dec | 17:26–08:24 | 15.0 | 7.5 | 56% | 85 |
| Wed 30 Dec | 17:27–08:24 | 15.0 | 9.3 | 45% | 91 |
| Thu 31 Dec | 17:28–08:23 | 15.0 | 11.0 | 35% | 95 |
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Questions
What are the best nights for the northern lights in Fairbanks in December 2026?
The darkest, most moon-free nights are 5 Dec, 6 Dec, 7 Dec, 8 Dec, 9 Dec, 10 Dec. Nights average 15.0 hours of darkness in December.
Is December a good month for the northern lights in Fairbanks?
Yes, nights are very long, though often cloudier and colder. Cold, dry continental air gives many clear nights; Chena Hot Springs is the classic base.