Disclaimer

Boreal combines public space-weather, geomagnetic and cloud-cover data with your location to estimate how likely the aurora is where you stand. Each of those pieces has its limits:

• The source data is not perfect. We draw on feeds from meteorological and geophysical institutes. Occasionally a sensor drops out, a feed is delayed, or a value is revised later. When a source is unavailable, Boreal shows the most recent reading it has.
• Cloud cover is itself a forecast. It is predicted for an area around you rather than measured at your exact spot, so the sky can differ from what the app expects.
• Space weather moves quickly. Solar wind and geomagnetic activity can change within minutes, sometimes faster than the feeds update.
• Our model is an estimate. The probability, the hourly outlook and the Aurora Finder overlay are all calculated from the inputs above, and any model simplifies the real sky.
• Boreal is made to be easy to understand. Space weather is complicated, so we deliberately turn many measurements into one clear answer: a single probability, a plain summary and a simple alert. That clarity is the point of the app, and it means some detail is intentionally left out.
• Local conditions matter. Light pollution, terrain, haze and moonlight all affect what you can actually see, and none of them are in the data.
• Alerts travel a long way. They pass through data feeds, Apple’s push service and your device before reaching you, so one may occasionally arrive late or not at all.

Boreal is designed so that anyone can understand tonight’s chances at a glance, without needing to know what a Kp index or a solar wind reading is. Think of it as a well-informed friend rather than a promise. A high probability is a good reason to step outside and look; a low one means the odds are against you, not that the sky is guaranteed to stay dark. The one thing no forecast can change is the aurora itself: it is never guaranteed, anywhere, on any night, however good the conditions look. Boreal exists to make sure you are looking up at the right moments, not to promise what the sky will do.

Aurora hunting often means being out at night, in the cold, in quiet places. Please look after yourself: dress for the conditions, keep an eye on the road and your surroundings, and put the phone away while driving.

Boreal’s forecasts are built on data provided by the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, GeoNet New Zealand, the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center, the USGS Geomagnetism Program, the Tromsø Geophysical Observatory and OpenWeatherMap. Maps and place search are provided by Apple Maps. None of these organisations endorses Boreal or is responsible for it.

Because forecasts are estimates, we provide them, along with alerts, maps, images and other data, “as is” and without a warranty of accuracy, completeness or timeliness, and to the extent the law allows we are not liable for loss arising from reliance on them. The full terms, including the protections that apply to you as a consumer, are in our Terms of Service.

If a forecast or reading did not match what you saw, we would love to hear about it. Email moc.liamg@iksokivrih.rimisak with the place, the time and what the sky looked like, and we will take a look.