How We Make the Recommendation — Aurora Guide
How We Make the Recommendation
Every night goes through the same logic — in this exact order.
Step 1 · Season
Is it midnight sun season at this location?Yes
☀️ Skip it
Sky never gets dark enough
Sky never gets dark enough
No
↓ continue
Step 2 · Solar Activity
Is Kp high enough to reach this location's aurora oval?Tromsø: Kp 1 minimum · Inverness: Kp 4 minimum
No
🚫 Skip it
Sun too quiet tonight
Sun too quiet tonight
Yes
↓ continue
Step 3 · Best 2-hour Window
Is there a clear 2-hour window during the dark hours?ECMWF hourly cloud cover · best consecutive pair of hours
≤ 20% clouds + good Kp
✅ Book it
Time your outing for that window
Time your outing for that window
No clear window
↓ continue
Step 4 · Escape Route
Is a nearby location (≤ 2h drive) significantly clearer?Up to 5 spots checked · must be ≥ 20 pp better than local
≤ 30% nearby + good Kp
🚗 Drive & Go
A short drive saves the night
A short drive saves the night
No better spot
↓ continue
Step 5 · Average Cloud Cover
What is the average cloud cover during dark hours?≤ 30%
+ good Kp
✅ Book it
≤ 50%
+ exceptional Kp
✅ Book it
31–64%
or marginal Kp
⚠️ Maybe
≥ 65%
or ≥ 50% + low Kp
🚫 Skip it
Data sources: Cloud cover — ECMWF IFS 0.25° (primary), GFS Global (model alert). Solar activity — NOAA 3-day Kp forecast. Escape routes — ECMWF per nearby location, best 2-hour window within dark hours.
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