Originally Posted by
jackal
Actually, I'm not sure about that. Check out this post I made recently in
another thread:
Now, the auroral oval does wander a bit, and both Barrow and Prudhoe can have a slightly higher chance of seeing the aurora than Fairbanks (Barrow more than Prudhoe, actually--Barrow is slightly closer to the auroral ring centerline), but weigh that against the much higher chance of cloudy weather on the North Slope. I'd pick Fairbanks any day.
I had been tracking the forecast for quite some time (actually two winters) to help plan a trip up there - even going as far as becoming a quasi-"expert" with Carrington Rotation Plots so I could forecast ahead of time (and at least get a 14 or 21 day advance purchase ticket) - I noticed from the aurora belt shape that Fairbanks often got little or no aurora activity (or was low on the horizon) unless the solar activity was at or near a high, while points north and west (or south and east) got a better view - but as you point out, the weather is an issue, and I am not familiar with winter weather in these towns.